Fire and Blood A Fairy Tail Fanfic
by Vanillamon
Summary: Fear has struck the hearts of Magnolia and her citizens, as a murderer appears from out of nowhere and runs rampant, causing chaos amongst the city. As Natsu tries to figure out this mystery, a suspicious eleven year old called Reo joins the guild after a display of her strength wows the Fairies. But why is she hiding her magic and her past? Rated M *UNDER REVISION GIVE ME A WHILE*
1. The Request

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfiction

By Vanillamon

Why hello there! Welcome to Fire and Blood! I am very excited and proud to say that I am writing this story; you see, I've had this idea in my head for a long while now (brainstormed in the shower) and finally decided to write it. I didn't know where to post it, since I don't have a Tumblr or anything like that, so I looked up some sites and decided on this one. That being said, I am still a little new to this site and am trying to learn about how it works and stuff like that. So, please don't be too harsh, but I do take constructive criticism and suggestions with open arms, and I would like to thank you sincerely for taking the time to read my first fanfiction. I absolutely love Fairy Tail [SO. FREAKING. MUCH], so that's why I picked to write about it! :3

 ***Disclaimer* You probably are very aware that I don't own Fairy Tail (and characters other than Reo Mayushigue aren't mine!)**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 1.) The Request

The day began as any other day in Magnolia; the sun was up and shining, warming the air and streets of the soon-to-be busy towns. The morning dew was still clinging to the trees and grass as people began to awaken. It was peaceful, beautiful and quiet as the morning star—

"What th- NatsuuuUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Welp… so much for peaceful and quiet.

"What's the matter?" a familiar fire-mage yelled, liquid dripping from the corners of his mouth.

"What's _t_ _he MATTER?"_ Lucy yelled, her arms flailing in the air. "You decide to make a bet with Gray on who was a better drinker, stumble from the bar to the table, and try to set my **head** on **fire** , then ask me what's _the MATTER?!"_

"Well… Yeah," the drunken male stated, trying to listen to her words (even though with his efforts, had just ended up going through the other ear).

The celestial-mage began to massage her temples, growing agitated with her friends' actions. _Why do I even bother?_ she thought. Yup, all in a normal day in Fairy Tail. Oh well, she knew what to expect from the dragon-slayer, and she knew that he was either really stupid at times or really oblivious at others. But deep down, she knew he was kind, loyal, and helpful to his nakama and would do _anything_ for them (even if he ended up half-dead, which is normally how it _did_ end up), and that's what she admired about him.

"Oi, Flame-brain! You… you get back here right *hiccup* now!" yelled a drunk-Gray from his bar-stool, alcohol dripping onto his somehow-still-on-his-body shirt.

Natsu turned to face his comrade, his face trying to focus on who was talking to him; Yup, they were pretty damn drunk.

"Whaddya want, Ice-princess?! I'm *hiccup* buzy 'ere!" he yelled back, his words beginning to slur.

"Yeah?! Welly-welly-well, you don't look like you're buzyy!"

"I'ma buzzyy in coming o'er there and kicking your strippin' ass!"

"HA! Good luck wiff THAT!"

"Droopy-eyes!"

"Squinty!"

This continued for a while until their systems were so full of alcohol that they passed out on the floor, neither able to keep themselves awake for any longer.

"Thank goodness for _that_. I don't think I can take much more of their constant bickering, no matter how often I do," Lucy said, beginning to relax.

"Heh, I'll second that," Mirajane noted from behind the bar, cleaning a glass with a gentle smile.

 **Meanwhile…**

"My, I never realized how _big_ Magnolia actually was," she mumbled to herself, walking and navigating around with her map.

A young girl was walking the streets of the busy city in search of the famed guild, Fairy Tail. Finding said place was proving to be more difficult then she'd thought, seeing as how she had arrived late in the evening about a day or so earlier, still not finding her destination after nonstop walking throughout the day.

"Oh for Gods' sake, how can such a big place be so _difficult_ to find?" she asked herself, as she turned a corner. She's asked many of the locals in the city, but all of their answers had led to be dead ends or... some creepy guy's house. Deciding to see where she was on her map, she looked up from said piece of paper and gasped.

There, **(a** **bout a fifteen-minute walk from her position)** was the Fairy Tail guild.

The young girl was washed with the feeling of relief, seeing as how she'd finally been able to locate the guild famous for it's reckless way of solving... well, everything. Straightening her dress and tucking her map away, she grabbed hold of the small drawstring bag she had tied to her waistband and brought it close to her chest. With a small excitement spreading throughout her body, she began her way to the guild growing more nervous with each step that drew her near.

OooooooooooooO

A little while after that whole fiasco, Natsu and Gray woke up, each with massive headaches. Wendy being the nice girl she is, decided to help them with their hangovers.

"You know, you guys shouldn't do that again; alcohol does some serious damage to your bodies. _Especially_ your livers," the young dragon-slayer informed, her magic slowly healing the boys that sat in front of her.

"Thanks Wendy," they boys said simultaneously, feeling guilty for their actions, though they'd never admit it out loud.

At that moment, the guild doors opened slowly and gently, making them squeak and causing all the guild members inside to look in that direction. Standing in the doorway, was a young girl holding a small bag in her hands. Her curly and cotton-candy pink and white hair was held in a high ponytail, and she wore a frilly sea-green dress with some pastel blue flats and lacy knee-high socks. Her eyes, each adorning their own color (yellow and purple), were looking around the guild.

She didn't notice that every Fairy Tail member currently present was staring at her.

"Hello there, young lady. What brings you here to our guild?" Romeo stepped up and asked, a gentle smile on his face while holding out his hand, startling the girl.

She soon noticed everyone staring at her and felt compelled to shake his hand. Reluctantly, she lifted her hand and grasped the young fire-mage's and weakly shook it. Her hand and arm were tense, but only one very perceptive would notice…

"I-I'm here t-to see Mrs. Mirajane S-Strauss, about a-a re...quest," she trailed off after stuttering, pulling her hand to close to her body when Romeo let go.

"Me?" the transformer-mage asked, putting down her rag and glass. She walked to where Romeo stood, and smiled at the girl. "If I may ask, what is your name?" she inquired, hands on her knees and bending down to her height.

The young girl seemed to relax. Putting on a somewhat-confident front, she replied, "I-I'm Reo… Reo Mayushigue."

"Well, hello Reo. Nice to formally meet you. Now, what was this request you wanted to ask about?" Mira asked, smiling all the way.

"R-Right!" Reo said. She quickly tightened her grip on the bag she was holding, and pondered for a minute about what she was going to say.

"Um… I say request, but it may be more of a challenge. Anyway, I wanted to reward any Fairy Tail guild member with some jewels, that would be able to beat me in a fight. Hand-on-hand, combat. Oh, and you can use your magic, but I don't like using _my_ magic, so I won't be using mine."

"What!?" the guild screamed, all thinking the same thing; Who in their right mind would challenge very powerful mages in a fight they knew they'd lose almost instantly - especially a child?!

"Yes, that is my request, or wait.. challenge," the young girl replied calmly. Everyone in the guild hall stared at her in disbelief, mouths agape thinking such a young child would be so… bold, to make such an insane proposition. Reo was just staring into space while waiting for an answer.

"That depends!" yelled a voice from the floor; Natsu. "How much would be _some_ jewels?" While some people were gawking at him, others were facepalming from his desire and stupidity to fight a little girl **(at least that's what _they_ thought he meant by his question).**

"Oh, not very much," Reo said, looking in her bag, "just…uh... 0.8, 0.9, 1. About 1 million jewel."

The whole guild went wide-eyed as they continued to look at her with shock. "One _**million**_ JEWEL!?" they yelled, in utter shock.

"Oh! Is that not enough?" the young girl asked with genuine worry.

"OF COURSE IT IS!" they all yelled, seeing that the girl was completely oblivious to the fact that her offer was too much. However, they all looked at one another, saying they'd win that money and gloat about it all day... all but one; Natsu.

Said fire-mage found the proposition made by the minor to be pretty sketchy. Though he'd normally be itching for a brawl, something about this didn't seem solid to him. He looked around to see if anyone else was confused, but it seemed to be just him.

"YES! WE'LL FIGHT!" everyone yelled in excitement.

"Oh, goody! I've been itching for someone to fight with for _ages_! Now, the first person to win gets this bag of jewel, and since I don't have anymore bags of money, I will end fighting sessions there," Reo exclaimed with glee, pulling the money out of the drawstring it was in, showing everyone she meant business.

Showing excitement to fight the 'client', the guild members filed into one line and left the guild after Reo. Team Natsu remained towards the end of the line (actually they _were_ the end of the line), Natsu being the _very_ back so he could think.

"Oh, I can't _wait_ to get my hands on all that rent money!" Lucy squealed in joy (and somewhat greed).

"Rent money? HA! Do not make Juvia laugh! Juvia will win that reward, and treat Gray-sama to snowcones in the park! Juvia and Gray-sama will go on so many dates!" exclaimed Juvia, in pure bliss from the thought of going out with her beloved Gray-sama.

'I wonder... just _why_ would someone so young have all that money?' Natsu asked, himself, lost in thought. He was pulled back into reality when he felt an icy hand on his shoulder.

"Oi, Flame-brain! It's pretty weird to see _you_ thinking! What're you thinking about... how yer' gonna lose?!" the ice-mage taunted, a smug look on his face.

"Ha! In your dreams, stripper!" Natsu fired back, lighting his fist on fire.

OooooooooooO

 **Ending of Chapter 1.) The Request. SO! How was it? I hope you liked it! I know I'm not that great a writer (I'm still in school, so I'm learning), but I just felt I had to write this idea down somewhere. And what better way to try and start out than sharing your idea with the world on a Fanfic site?! Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and please review what you thought! Don't worry, I plan on making more chapters, so that's out of the way. And I'm sorry if anyone seemed OOC (out of character), it's just how I wanted to write it. THANKYOU, and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	2. Gray vs Reo

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Hello there! Welcome back to this… story! I'm overflowing with ideas on how this should end up, but I have to be patient on posting and stuff (as well as get around to writing the chapters). Anyway… I think I'm getting the hang of this website, so** _ **that's**_ **a plus. Constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated, so don't be afraid to tell me things I should do in the future. Now, I'm just getting boring, so onward! Also, I apologize in advance for spelling mistakes… and I'm not very good with fight scenes. Constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated, BTW.**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't own Fairy Tail (characters other than Reo Mayushigue aren't mine!)**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 2.) Gray vs. Reo

As the Fairy Tail members made their way hastily from their guild and looked for a good location for their fights to begin, Reo was attempting to make friends with her soon-to-be opponents; talking about her trip and asking about their magical properties, happily chatting with almost every member present.

"Man, this is going to be GREAT!" Gray yelled in excitement from the back of the group, absent-mindedly removing his shirt once more.

"Well Gray, that is if you even get the opportunity to _fight_ the kid!" Cana yelled cockily, taking a large swig of booze from her one-of-many flasks. The card-mage was drunk (as usual), but that wouldn't stop her from winning 2 million jewel in a pushover fight with a minor **(right?)**.

While those two started a "friendly" conversation, Reo tried talking with some more of the guildmates, finding a blue-haired girl closer to her age amongst the crowd.

"Hm? Oh, hello! You're the client... Reo, right?" the blunette asked.

"Yes. You're the sky dragon-slayer, Wendy?" she asked back.

Said dragon-slayer nodded and blushed at the thought of someone she didn't know recognizing her.

"My... This is very surreal; I'm really going to fight the amazing mages of Fairy Tail!"

"So when you were saying you wouldn't use your magic, why would you make the battle seem so easy?"

"Is that what I did? Oh, well... I just don't like using _my_ magic. I hate it, actually," the white-haired mage said.

"Why's that?" Wendy asked. She noticed Reo tense up after she finished, but she quickly dismissed it. She didn't answer and continued walking silently, avoiding Wendy's gaze as she did so.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry! If it's a difficult topic, then don't worry about telling me!" she panicked, a friendly smile on her face. Reo looked up and smiled, appreciating the friendliness this guild offered.

"Thank-you very much. After this, would you mind if we became, perhaps... more than acquaintances?" the younger girl asked.

"Yeah, I'd love too! Um… if I may ask, how old are you? You just seem kind of young to make a request like this," Wendy asked.

"Oh, um… I think I'm thirteen?" she responded, an unsure tone in her voice.

"Wait, are you unsure of your age?" the blue-haired dragon-slayer asked.

"Heheh… yeah. My parents abandoned me and my brother after I turned... five- no, six, I think, and since then, I've never really kept track. Why? Is it important?"

"Of _course_ it's important! How else are you going to celebrate with a birthday party?!"

"Birthday? _Party_?" Reo was very confused now, for she'd never seen the importance of a party, nonetheless her age. However, Wendy thought differently.

"You've never had a birthday party?!" the young mage yelled in shock, catching the attention of her nearby guildmates. "That will certainly **not** do! When this is over, you're coming to the guild and we're going to plan and throw you a party!"

Overhearing this conversation, Lisanna chipped in. "Yeah! Birthdays are important, for they signify a person's special day for getting older, and _everyone's_ important!" she said in a friendly tone.

"Huh… Well, I don't really see the point, but sure; I'll partake in this, what did you call it, _party_ , when this ends," the young girl replied casually, a small smile on her face.

"Yay! Party after the battles!" Lisanna and Wendy yelled in joy, making the guild cheer [considering they loved excuses to party, and well… let's face it; this was a pretty damn good excuse].

OooooooooooooO

After about half an hour, the Fairy Tail members finally found a vacant field, the grass tall and a little wet from the earlier night's rain.

When in the center of the field, Mirajane stepped up and decided to speak. "Okay! Now, I will be watching you all partake in this event, so I'm not participating. Master's orders!" she yelled to her fellow mages.

Nodding in agreement, everyone began questioning who would go first. All of the mages seemed to want to be first to fight the child, thinking that they'd win in a heartbeat.

"I'll go first, and show you all how a _man_ fights!" Elfman yelled.

"Fighting an adolescent is NOT very manly, Elfman. I'll do it, though," Freed explained, pulling out his rune sword **(that's what it is, right?)**.

"You know," Natsu spoke up from the back of the group, "we should let _the client_ choose who she wants to fight first. Shouldn't we?"

The guild turned to face him, finding it odd that someone normally so rambunctious and anxious for a fight would suggest something rather sensible. Nevertheless, it was a good suggestion, so they let Reo choose.

"Um… Really? Wow, okay. How abooouuuttt…" Reo responded, unsure of who to choose. It took her a while to decide, but she finally came to a decision. "Gray?"

"Me? WOOH!" Gray yelled excitedly, seeing this as his chance to easily win some good money, and show off his skills to Juvia (whom he was secretly crushing on).

Gray ran to meet Reo and start the battle while the guild sat back from the sidelines and watched, fretting that the challenge was over.

The two opponents got into their battle stances… well, _Gray_ did at least; Reo seemed to be confused on how to stand for battle, but soon gave up and stood with her hands to her sides, with her index and middle fingers pointing downward.

Though his guild mates were disappointed they weren't the one(s) fighting, they didn't fail in cheering the Ice-mage on.

"Yeah, Gray! You can do it!" yelled Lucy.

"Go easy on the magic-power, Gray! You don't want to freeze her!" Levy encouraged.

"You can do it, Gray-sama! Juvia believes in you!" the water mage cheered.

"Thanks for the encouragement, guys!" Gray yelled in return, appreciative at his friends' comments. He was going to win and share the money with all of them for helping him in the past.

"Oi, are you _sure_ you don't want to use your magic? Hold on, what _is_ your magic?" Gray yelled to his opponent.

"Yes, I'm sure! Now, let's begin! " she replied, ignoring the second question [peaking Natsu's interest].

And so, the fight began.

Gray got into his ice-maker summoning stance. With his fist on top of his palm, he began to muster his magic and create a dangerous form of weaponry to attack with.

"Ice-make… LANCE!" he yelled, a lance made of ice forming in front of him and launching at rapid speed toward Reo. It sped toward her faster than his normal attacks would, making the spectators of the fight yell in fright.

"Reo, look OUT!" they all screamed.

The lance flew at lightning speed toward her and after it passed where Reo once stood, she seemed to disappear. Everyone stood shocked, unaware that she managed to jump pretty high into the air.

"GRAY!" Wendy and Romeo screamed in shock.

"Oh my gods!" Lucy and Levy exclaimed, horror lacing their tones.

Macao responded next. "What the Hell is wrong wi—"

Before the guild master could finish, a small blur of sea green, white, and pink caught their attention as it fell down from the sky, slamming into the grass. After briefly stumbling, it got up and ran with all its might toward Gray.

The poor fool had little time to react when he heard quick-stepped footsteps approach him. He turned to see the small girl he was fighting running toward him faster than the blink of an eye, a determined look on her face.

His instincts kicked in, and the first thing that came to mind was to throw a jab at the girl, so that's what he did. He pulled his arm back, and after encasing it with ice, threw a punch at Reo.

However, Reo was more agile than he **(everyone, actually)** would've imagined. Once Gray threw his punch, she began to skid to a halt, ducking before his hand hit her jaw. Barely managing to keep herself from falling, she swayed to the left a bit, then swiveled around to face his exposed torso. She stuck out her pointer and index fingers and with a few swift maneuvers, the proclaimed-thirteen-year-old moved her hands and was hitting specific locations on Gray's back, arms, and neck.

Immediately after hitting him, she stopped and stood up straight, placing her hands behind her back. Gray's arms (along with the rest of his body) went limp and fell down. His body slumped in a weird way. But even though he was conscious, he was unable to move and looked the opposite.

Fairy Tail stood in utter silence, shock staining all of their faces. They were in disbelief, that one of the strongest members of Fairy Tail had been taken out in such an instant, by a _little girl_.

"Wait, wait, wait... What… just happened?" Gajeel asked loudly from the field.

"Oh that! Yeah, I've… um, studied… human anatomy before, so I've seen all of the pressure points located on the body. So when I moved around his arm, I analyzed his back and struck those points. They're very sensitive, so his body reacted the way it did naturally - well, as naturally as it would if struck in those spots," Reo relied, rubbing her finger-tips.

"So how long will it be until I'm able to move?" the ice-mage asked, his face in the ground.

"It should wear off in a couple seconds, it's only long enough for me to declare victory," she replied sweetly.

"Great, I lost… that means I won't get to treat Juvia to a nice date or two," he complained, a blush adorning his cheeks.

"That's okay! I'm sure Juvia won't care that you lost, and if you tell her, she will seriously appreciate the thought." _'However, she'll probably go super psycho and lost in a daydream about her and Gray being a couple_ _*shiver*.'_

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, kid."

With that, Reo walked over to Gray and grabbed ahold of his hand. In that moment, the loss of feeling in his body returned instantly, which struck Gray as odd.

"Well, let's get back, yeah?" Reo questioned, smiling and turning to go back to the Fairy Tail members.

OooooooooooooO

 **Ending of Chapter 2.) Gray vs. Reo. So, that was chapter two of my story. Whad'dya think? Too fast paced? Not actiony enough? Rushed? Probably, definitely, and maybe a little bit. I know, but I felt pretty decent about how this one turned out. I'm sorry if it didn't live to expectations that you might've had, but this was just how I envisioned it - sorry. Well, I appreciate you reading this anyway. I apologize if any of the characters were OOC, by the way. And don't worry, I am gonna make it more interesting in the chapters to follow, including the next one - because Natsu's fight is next time! Mwahahahaha! No? Yeah... that doesn't work. So, THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	3. Fights of Fairy Tail

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Oh, hello there! Welcome back to the story! How've you been? That's great, you can actually tell me when/if you review! Anyway, I understand this website superbly now [I guess…?] and so, I'm excited to write more for this story… its adapting into a rather interesting plot** **, but I won't have all the time I need to write because of damned PARCC testing at school, and the story is supposed to be a long one.** _ **Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy**_ **… Ugh, well whatever. Constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated on my part, and yeah, you probably know the drill.**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't own Fairy Tail (just Reo Mayushigue!)**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 3.) Fights of Fairy Tail

Reo beamed victoriously as she strolled casually in front of Gray, thinking of who her next opponent would be.

"Well, Gray-san? That was very fun," she said, bowing in a respective manner.

"Heh, yeah, I guess. When did you learn anatomy like you said you did?" Gray asked, downcast because he failed.

"I, really don't know. Like I said, I've never kept track of my age, or time for that matter." Gray eyed her skeptically, taking note on her unusual confession.

"Reo-chan! That was awesome! How did you do that?" Levy came forth and asked, curious to the young girls' ways (so she could possibly learn it for herself).

"Perhaps I could show you, Miss Levy McGarden, for I would like to challenge you next. Script-magic has always interested me," Reo said, requesting to battle the blunette.

"Please, just call me Levy. And yes, I'd love to duel you!"

With a nod towards Mirajane, the two mages (yes, Reo is a mage… but as we learned, she doesn't like using her magic) made their way to the center of the field.

Getting into position, the girls stood across from each other a distance. Everyone began to calm down and get back to their places as spectators, carefully watching what Reo did (so they could prepare for their fight).

With a wave of her pen, Levy cast a spell using her magic-power.

The word 'lightning' formed in the air and began to soar towards the young girl at rapid speed, yellow sparks crackling with blinding light flashing following suit.

"Yes! I've got this!" the blunette said to herself. However, that mood quickly diminished when she saw Reo run quickly around the attack, tripping face first into the dirt in the process [again]. The girl then quickly got up and charged toward the script-mage.

"Shoot!" Levy exclaimed, attempting to run and send forth another attack. Unfortunately, she was too late when she saw Reo seemingly materialize beside her and strike her neck, sides, and arms, knocking her pen out of her hand. "GAH!"

"LEVY!" Gajeel yelled, a (rare) worried look on his face. The action earned him a couple gapes, but they were immediately eradicated when he shot them one of his most menacing glares.

Levy was rendered immobile as she crashed roughly toward the ground back-first. She hit the ground with a thud and once again, Fairy Tail was at a loss of words.

"Ah, DANGIT!" the mage yelled from under the tall grasses, irritated. "I lost!"

"Well, that's okay! You're a great fighter!" Reo said, walking toward her opponent.

"Heh, I guess. Good match, Reo-chan," she said cheerfully as Reo grasped her hand. The feeling of mobility coursed through her blood as she sat up. "Woah, how did you _do_ that?"

"Hm? Do what?"

"Huh, nevermind," the mage said, hiding her curiosity the best she could.

As the two began walking back, Gajeel rushed to Levy's side and made sure she was okay, eyeing her up and down and looking at the client.

"Now, who's going next?" Reo asked the guild members, a smile wide across her face.

OoooooooooooO

Most of Fairy Tail was exhausted beyond all belief; half of the guild had tried and failed in beating their client for her "ridiculous" reward in doing so. Erza, Mira, and the other S-class mages refused to fight the girl since they were so powerful [and would possibly crush her]. So the next member that Reo would challenge was—

"Natsu Dragneel, the Mighty Salamander… I believe it is your turn!" Reo said through short pants, having used much energy with the other superior mages.

"Alrighty, let's do this!" the dragon-slayer exclaimed with false enthusiasm, suspicious of his client's purposes. He was very observant of all the battles prior, watching every move Reo made so he'd be ready in battle.

He didn't know what to think of Reo except that she had immense knowledge of the body and she didn't like being touched (she did her best to dodge every move thrown at her and held the spot someone made contact with right after she struck them down, as well as flinching at slight contact with people).

The two walked to the center to prepare for battle. By now, the guild members were uninterested and waiting for Natsu to fail, since half of them lost to the same opponent.

"I'm so excited! I'm really fighting _the_ Natsu Dragneel!" Reo exclaimed giddily, skipping to the offense. After all of her battles, the young girl finally managed to get into a decent battle stance; placing her right foot and hand back so striking her opponent was easier and more forceful with her dominant hand.

Arms up and ready, Natsu and Reo were staring at one another, waiting for the other to make the first move.

"It seems whoever makes the first move may lose…" Lucy said, attempting to break the silence hanging in the air.

"This is **NOT** very manly!" Elfman yelled, pumping his fists into the air.

"How much do you wanna bet Natsu's gonna win?" Loke (whom Lucy had called upon to help her in _her_ fight) whispered to Freed.

"Free meals for a week that Natsu will lose," Freed whispered back.

"Deal." The two Fairy Tail members made the deal and shook on it as everyone awaited for the fight to begin.

They waited…

And waited…

…AND waited…

But no one made a move, and it was getting _dreadfully_ boring... that is, until Natsu groaned and yelled, igniting his fists and sprinting front and center toward Reo with a spark in his eyes.

The girl was snapped back into reality (she zoned out because no one was doing anything) when the heat of fire approached her rapidly. With the single though of not wanting to be burned today, she did what she first thought of; and ducked.

She managed to duck just in time before her hair was caught in flames. However, she did so too fast and lost her balance, making her slam her face into the ground ( _again_ ).

As soon as Natsu's arm passed over her head, she pushed herself up off the ground and turned to face Natsu's back, ready to strike his torso's sensitive spots.

The fire-mage had other plans, however.

Once Reo readied her fingers, Natsu spun to face her and startled her. Using this as an advantage, he breathed in (a lot) and centered his body to hers.

"Roar of the…" he started as Reo's face widened in shock. Without thinking, the girl jumped as her seemingly-weightless body soared gracefully through the air, her dress flapping in the wind.

"-FIRE DRAGON!" the fire-mage finished, fire shooting from his mouth as he exhaled. It zoomed straight for the white/pink-haired mage, her eyes widening in horror.

She couldn't get away and attempted to take the full blunt of force and fire that was aimed for her. However, that didn't work out, seeing as how her skin looked like it was boiling when she screamed.

"AaaAAAGGGHHH!" she cried out in pain, clutching her right arm tightly. Reo began to fall toward the ground, and slammed into the hard dirt of the field.

Fairy Tail was surprised; Reo, the undefeated little girl that just randomly showed up out of the blue and managed to beat every member she challenged was being beaten by the most rambunctious and nonthinking Fairy Tail guildmate.

Not ready to give up on a worthy battle, Reo got up, only her arm wasn't burned like before. Instead, her left hand seemed to have every scratch, bruise, burn and supposed fracture she'd obtained throughout the day. And let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.

"Woah! What on Earthland happened to her hand?" Jet exclaimed, observing closely.

"It's so painful-looking! I need to help her!" Wendy exclaimed, panic washing her face.

"Juvia will help, too!" the water-mage added.

"Wait!" Erza spoke up. "She's not backing down, see?" As everyone turned to look, they saw the young girl raise her arms to block whatever the fire dragon-slayer sent her way next. "Let's just wait this out and see what she does."

Hearing Erza's comment, the guild sat down and watched nervously as the two fighters continued. Feeling all eyes on her, the young mage gripped her arm in an attempt to hide her injuries.

"Oi, what happened to your _hand_?" Natsu worriedly asked the girl, keeping his distance.

Instead of responding _verbally_ , Reo launched herself at Natsu, her right hand being her source of attack. Her tiny fist and Natsu's cheek collided as Natsu faceplanted with Reo on top of him.

The dragon-slayer pushed the girl off of him and rubbed his cheek; for someone so small and puny-looking, she packed a hard punch.

"Agh, nice shot," the mage said, igniting his hands once more. However, Reo wasn't watching him – instead, she was shaking her wrist and rubbing her small legs, a pained expression on her face.

But as he approached her, the small mage looked up and tried jumping into the air again once more.

"What? Oh no you don't! Not this time!" Natsu yelled after her, jumping toward her small figure.

"Huh?!" the girl then gasped loudly as a flaming hand collided with her jawline… _**hard**_.

Reo was hit, and plummeted straight for the ground. With a loud thud, the small girl slammed into the dirt again, making rocks fly in all directions [one even managing to hit Mirajane's forehead while she leaned in and watched]. Natsu "gently" fell to the ground, his scarf flapping behind him.

Everyone stood silent. Out of all people, _Natsu_ was the one to defeat Reo.

...Welp...

"YEAH, NATSU!"

Everyone broke out into a cheer, seeing as how someone had _finally_ been able to beat the small mage and restore Fairy Tail's pride (or what was left of it).

Natsu suddenly felt guilty for being able to do so when he saw Reo struggle to get up. He walked over to her beaten form, and placed his hand on her shoulder, making her cringe and collapse again.

"Woah! Are you okay?" he asked, concern coating his voice.

Taking a minute or so to register his words, Reo responded with a broken voice. "Yeah, I'm *cough* all right… thank you."

"I didn't mean to hit you so hard…"

"No, it's fine… Really. I'll get over it soon enough… I'll just be battered up for a while," she spoke with sincerity, looking up and smiling at him with one hell-of-a-bruised cheek.

"At least let us take you to the guild infirmary," Natsu began, attempting to pick up the girl only to see her flinch at his touch.

She gingerly rubbed her arm where Natsu had tapped her, looking like it was already turning a faint purple. Before he could get a good look though, the girl shoved the small drawstring bag holding the reward into his face.

"Here, you won the challenge fair-and-square," she panted gently while pushing her weight onto her less-bruised elbow, and then slowly got up.

"Th-thanks…" the dragon-slayer trailed off, looking like she just slapped him for no reason. She was barely touched (other than her cheek), and she was broken all over her body, and it struck him as odd.

"REO-CHAN!" a high-pitched voice yelled, running toward the two fighters. Wendy accidentally slammed into the beaten girl, bruising her more as they landed hard on the ground.

"Ohmygosh… I'm so SORRY!" she yelled, immediately pulling herself off of her.

"That's okay…" Reo replied with a smile, her voice out of breath and somewhat raspy.

"Hold on, I'll help you!" Wendy began as she placed her hands directly above the small mage's arm and summoned her magic power to heal.

"No, stop! I'm… I'm fine!" the girl yelled while pushing away Wendy's hands, and stumbling after she quickly stood up. "I appreciate it, but I really don't need it!"

"But…"

"Wendy, just let it go," Natsu said gently, placing his hand on his "little sister's" shoulder while they watched Reo follow after the guild with a slight limp. She kept her hands behind her back and walked as straight and tall as she could pull off (like she did in the morning), not touching anything, or anyone.

"Is it just me… or did it seem like she hated the fire _and_ the thought of making physical contact with her people?" Wendy asked in a hushed voice.

"No, it's _definitely_ not just you," Natsu replied. Not wanting to look out of place, the two rushed after the guild, questions racing through their minds.

OooooooooooooO

 **Ending of Chapter 3.) Fights of Fairy Tail! So, how was it? I'm sure it wasn't exactly what you wanted and kinda anticlimactic, so I apologize for that, but that's just how I wrote it. Anyway, I really appreciate you reading this, and hopefully we find out more clues in chapter 4! (I haven't finished it though, so you'll have to wait… Mwahahah!). Also, please review what you thought, and I'll be happier than before. I'm sorry if anyone seemed OOC. THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	4. Welcome to the Guild!

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Yo! Welcome back** **to F &B~FTF! [Okay, that **_**so**_ **doesn't work, so I'll never abbreviate this like that again]. So, yeah... I'm kind of an awkward person when it comes to social interactions. So... PARCC testing finally ended [thank God!] and now I won't have to worry about that. Now, this story is gonna be a hopefully long one (if I can keep up for a while), so don't you dare think it stops here! Constructive criticism and suggestions are appreciated, as always! Welly-well, listen to me; droning on about the stupid future. Let's get to the story…**

 ***Disclaimer* Don't own Fairy Tail (just Reo Mayushigue)**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OoooooooooooO**

Chapter 4.) Welcome to the Guild!

It was almost dark as the guild made their way back to the Fairy Tail guild hall. The sky was growing darker and the stars began to peek from behind the grey clouds, illuminating in the bright moonlight.

The guild hall was looked like a beacon in the night, the way it was lit up. Master Makarov walked out of the guild to greet his children as he noticed them begin to file back.

"Hello, brats!" he bellowed, his aged face remaining stoic. "How were all of your fights with your client?"

"They were great, Master! Out of all of us, Natsu managed to succeed and win the reward!" exclaimed an excited Lucy as she happily linked arms with said mage.

"Yeah! You should have seen how cool it was!" a blue exceed yelled while landing on his partner's salmon-colored head. He grabbed the bag of jewel Natsu won and held it up to show the Master.

"Well, congratulations, Natsu," the master replied in a positive tone. "But in case you don't mind, I'd like to _see_ the client for myself." After hearing those words, a few members moved out of the way of the young girl struggling to make her way to the front of the crowd.

"Goodevening, Master Makarov Dreyar," she wheezed. The poor girl looked like she was tired and suffering from her injuries, but it didn't stop her from bowing in a respective manner for the short man.

"What on Earthland happened to her!?" the elder man exclaimed, looking at Reo's body.

"Well, you see sir, these have been continuously accumulated throughout the day while fighting your exceptionally talented mages. However, Natsu must have seen through my strategy because he managed to deal the winning blow. Believe me though, they're just a few bumps and scratches - I'll live."

Makarov's eyebrows raised in surprise at hearing such mature language being dished out to him - especially from someone younger than many of his children.

"Nonsense! We cannot leave you like that - it must be painful! We can have Mirajane and maybe Wendy treat your injuries." he exclaimed.

"Not gonna happen," Natsu said.

"What?"

"Well, she refused our help earlier and insisted we leave her alone. She rejected my healing magic, too," Wendy spoke up, holding Carla in her arms.

"I'm fine, truly; just a few minor bruises and such. I should be fine by tomorrow; I guarantee it," the young mage said, a smile on her face while she mindlessly held her left arm.

"At the very _least,_ let me bandage _that_ up for you," Mirajane suggested gently, walking towards Master with a worried smile on her face.

Looking rather hesitant, Reo nodded and followed the two white-haired mages into the building, the guild following suit. She was led into the infirmary where Mira grabbed some gauze and antiseptic.

"This will keep it from getting infected, okay?" she asked sweetly.

With a nod of her head, Reo raised her left hand and awaited the spray known for burning when healing a wound to make contact. Instead, she was startled to feel a cool spraying sensation on her skin, making it feel less inflamed than it was. Mira then grabbed the gauze and wrapped it around the small girl's arm, careful not to touch her skin.

Feeling relief as the gauze evenly wrapped her damaged skin, Reo pulled he arm back and gingerly stroked it. She muttered a quiet, "Thank you," and looked up at Mira.

"Oh, any time," the transformer-mage said, walking back into the guild hall to see Team Natsu talking. Reo was getting up to go and join the guild, but the small man in the room stopped her.

"Miss, Reo, was it? If you wouldn't mind, I would like to have a little chat with you," Master Makarov said casually, causing the girl to slightly jump. She stared at him with puzzled eyes before quiety replying.

"Of-of course," she stuttered as the small man moved to close the door.

OooooooooooooO

Team Natsu was currently sitting at a table, talking about the day's events while they - and almost everyone else - relaxed and regained their energy.

"I think she was very impressive; managing to continuously _and_ single-handedly take out all of the Fairy Tail mages she did, not including Master or the S-class mages," Lucy said, sipping her strawberry milkshake (prepared by Mirajane).

"Very. I mean, she took me out like that!" Gray exclaimed with a snap of his fingers, somehow only remaining in his boxers. Lucy nodded in agreement as she recalled her battle. Somewhere behind them, she heard Cana call out to Gray about his missing clothes, which caused a panicked reaction from him.

"Yeah. But I wonder why she refused your help though, Wendy," Erza said, biting into some strawberry cake.

Wendy was about to say what happened after Natsu fought her, but said mage beat her to it. He explained with great detail every little thing her saw her do during the previous fights, helping him to win, as well as how she reacted to the dragon-slayers trying to help her.

Just as he finished, Master Makarov and Reo walked out of the infirmary, a small smile plastered on each of their faces. The old man then hopped up onto the bar countertop; whatever he was going to say, it must have been important.

"Attention, everyone! Master has some news!" Mirajane exclaimed for the man, automatically quieting the guild down. With a nod toward the bartender, Makarov cleared his throat and began speaking.

"From what I heard from Reo and Mirajane, as well as a few of you, it took all day for one of you to beat your client." Silence and partial shame hung in the air as he finished his sentence.

"Well, that tells me something; this young lady here has quite a set of skills if she could've beat you brats one-by-one, _without_ using magic to do so, even though she _is_ a mage. Is that correct?" Still remaining silent, the guild members slowly nodded their heads.

"Hm, then my question to you all is this: Who would like her to join the guild, and become an official Fairy Tail member?" the Master finished.

Silence was once again their friend, seeing as how it seemed to show up and stay for a while _a lot_ that day. It stayed and permeated the air as the guild members looked from Reo to one another. Then Romeo stood up and opened his mouth.

"Master, with all due respect…" he trailed off for dramatic affect. "I think that's a **great idea**!"

Suddenly, the guild went up into a frenzy of shouts and cheers as they all seemed to want the small girl in their guild, fighting by their sides for jewels when they left for quests.

"She'd make a great addition to the team!"

"I bet she'd do great on jobs!"

"She'd make a great little sister! Plus, I still need to give her a proper birthday party!" Wendy yelled happily, forgetting about her previous conversation with her team.

With excitement flooding the room, Reo smiled in joy, knowing she'd get to join her favorite magic guild. Mirajane happily congratulated her and held up the Fairy Tail stamp used to give her the official crest. Pointing to the back of her neck where everyone would see it (and where it would least likely get damaged), Mira stamped a dark red Fairy Tail insignia onto her neck.

Wendy ran up to Reo in joy, careful not to ram into her again.

"Congratulations and welcome to Fairy Tail!" the sky dragon-slayer exclaimed, her ponytails bouncing up and down. Reo just smiled very wide and made a small noise of confirmation, her ponytail following suit of Wendy's.

Natsu continued to sit at the table and watched closely as Reo and Wendy giddily went on about birthday parties and whatnot.

"Oi, Erza, come back over here, and call Mira over if you would. I have to talk to you guys about something," Natsu said to his red-haired friend, an all-too-serious look on his face.

"Sure," Erza said, confused and slightly startled by his uncharacteristic demeanor (though she'd never admit it).

 ***Ten minutes later***

"Even with your reasoning, I haven't noticed anything wrong with her. From what I've seen, she's trustworthy, kind, and utterly harmless when she's not fighting," Mirajane explained.

"Same here. Maybe you're just paranoid about how Master might approach you after winning the battle," Erza joked, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm telling you guys, though. She's weird. She didn't like being touched by _anyone_ and it's odd that she wouldn't use magic! Besides, you saw her hand. It wasn't like that before, and I sure as Hell don't remember hitting the _left_ one!" Natsu protested.

"You're just overlooking the situation, Natsu. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," the red-haired mage replied, looking back to her cake to take another bite.

"You guys aren't helping," Natsu said, slumping into his seat.

Meanwhile, Reo, Wendy, and Romeo had been talking at the bar, each drinking a fruit smoothie. They'd been excited about Reo's guild-initiation, and all wanted to know each other better.

"So, how does it feel to be welcomed into Fairy Tail?" Romeo asked.

"I'm honestly very excited to work with everyone, and I feel very welcomed. Thank you all for your great hospitality," Reo replied, slightly bowing her head in his direction.

"No problem. But you don't have to be so poise and respectful toward us - we're family now, not the council!"

"O-oh, but of course," she replied quietly, a smile gracing her lips.

"Wait, where are you going to be staying? You only came to visit, didn't you?" Wendy asked. "If you don't have any place to stay, you can always come and join me and Carla in our Fairy Hills residence."

"Thank you, but I have a place in an apartment complex a little ways down. I was planning on staying here in Magnolia after I came here and gave my request. Heheh, looks like everything worked out, huh?"

"Ha, yeah. That's cool. Wait, what about your parents? They just let you go alone?" Wendy continued. Reo didn't respond for a few moments and stared at her feet sadly.

"Well... no. They were really against me leaving home with my brother. The plan for them was to have only sons to carry on the "royal name" they called it. So, they naturally resented me for being a girl. I was left alone, and ran away with no one to care for me except for..." she trailed off

"Except for who?" Romeo pushed, leaning closer to her. Wendy shot him a look that said _you-shouldn't-push-her-like-that_ , but he missed it.

"My elder brother," she replied, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes as her head lowered.

"Oh... If I may, does he know you came to our guild?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in a long time, but last time we conversed, I told him about wanting to come here."

"Oh, right. Sorry about that... Where is he now? And how old is he?"

"He's at the border of the Empiridian Forest... and he was 13 when he died..." Reo said, looking up. Silence seemed to echo around the three after she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry, for asking you something so personal..." Romeo continued, looking at her sympathetically.

"It's fine. I believe I was... let's see, six, when he passed. I then returned to my parents and when they figured out he was, umm, _gone_ , they ordered an executioner to take my head."

Upon hearing that, Wendy gasped and covered her mouth while Romeo stared wide-eyed and accidentally dropped his empty glass, making it shatter.

"Oh, crap!" he yelled, falling to pick up the shards. As he gathered the small pieces, one of them managed to slice him across the palm. "Ow!" he exclaimed, dropping the shards he had gathered and shaking his hand in pain.

"Oh! Romeo, are you okay?" Wendy asked as she rushed over to examine his hands, while Reo covered her nose and mouth the instant one could see the crimson liquid. "Reo?"

Noticing the ruckus from her table, Mirajane looked up and saw the situation at hand. Immediately, she excused herself and ran to see what was the matter.

"Reo-chan, are you all right?" she asked as she grabbed a dustpan and broom from behind the counter, sweeping the shards of glass. Instead of answering, the girl doubled over on her stool, then slid off of her seat and sprinted in the direction of the bathroom, rushing past the surrounding guildmates the best she could in her state.

Deciding to follow the girl out of concern, Lucy rushed after her to make sure she was okay. What she came to find was a locked door, a small shoe, and the sound of running water accompanied by heavy breathing.

"Reo?! Are you all right in there?" she asked pounding on the door. Not getting a response, Lucy fumbled with her celestial keys and finally grabbed the one she desired. "Open, Gate of the Maiden! Vir–" but before she could finish, the door opened slowly, and out came a pale looking Reo, cheeks red after splashing cold water on her face,"-go?"

Confused, Lucy closed the gate before the punishment-obsessed spirit could appear.

Before she could ask any questions, Reo raised her nose into the air and began to sniff (like she made Natsu do on a job requiring his keen sense of smell, but not as obnoxiously), her breathing short and strained.

Lucy could only stare as the small mage continued like there was nothing weird about her sudden actions. Soon enough, she noticed Lucy and stopped. Once she looked at the celestial-mage, her eyes became hollow.

"I think I'm going to go back home to… relax. It has been a long day, as I'm sure you know," she said lifelessly. Not one emotion was visible on the girl's face or in her eyes. Lucy could only stare dumbfounded as the white/pink-haired mage took her shoe from her hand, passed her by and walked toward the exit, only to be stopped by Natsu.

"Where are you going?" he asked, an unusually stern tone accompanying his words.

"Home."

"Without anyone to walk you?" he pushed further.

"Yes. I'm not a child," Reo spoke softly, her face still holding a brain-dead stare as she walked past the salmonette. Natsu was going to say something, but was stopped when Reo sternly said, "Don't respond to that."

He didn't do anything except for watch as the young mage exited the guild without a single good-bye.

The fire-mage watched her walk outside, down along the side of the road in a straight line. Her hands were behind her back, perfectly still and her hair bobbed up and down rhythmically. She continued to walk, and just before the guild doors closed, Natsu heard the shadow of a laughter that seemed to hide dark intentions echo around Reo's form.

Curious, he opened the doors again after they slammed shut, only to hear the cool evening breeze blowing and see Reo's calm face turn a corner for her home, white and pink curls bobbing gently along the way.

"I could've sworn…" the dragon-slayer said to himself before quickly dismissing it and returning to where Lucy was standing to question said celestial-mage.

OooooooooooooO

 **Ending of Chapter 4.) Welcome to the Guild! So, how was it? I'll tell you this; it was harder to write than the other chapters previous (whether it's just the fact that I'm pretty damn tired and my right hand is hurting from typing for so long, or that I have an awful attention span and I kept getting distracted, I will never know…), but I'm very proud of this one. I put in a lot of effort to make this good and give you guys a hint or two about someone [not saying who]. Anyway, tell me what you thought and if you have any suggestions, tell me so I know for next time. And I'm sorry if anyone was OOC. THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	5. The Case Begins

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Hey! Welcome to Chapter 5! Now, this chapter** _ **does**_ **have some rather…** _ **graphic**_ **… scenes, so just so you're aware, you have been warned. ANY-way… this story is developing nicely (thank you so much for the views, reviews, and follows! You have no idea how happy it makes me!), so I wanted to shout out my good friend Pineappleluvuh; she's got a great story for what she's written so far, and she's just *insert Oh-Meh-Geawd* so good! Also, constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated! Now that I've said all I've needed to say, let's continue, shall we?**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't Fairy Tail (just Miss Reo-chan)**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 5.) The Case Begins

The night air was cold and somewhat damp, making anyone walking outside shiver beyond comprehension. As the crescent moon's light shone from behind the dark evening clouds, the empty streets of Magnolia glittered with small specks of dew. It was a rather scenic evening.

However, some places in said city were not as beautiful; such as "Magic and More," the building where mages went and 'got it on' with other mages or paid top-dollar to watch them _dance_.

Lorraine was just finishing her shift. As she grabbed her coat and walked out the back door exiting to the alley-way, she reached into her purse and pulled out the money she earned from the night before and that day.

"Damn, not enough," she muttered exhaustedly as she stuffed her earning back into her bag. She never seemed to earn enough though - not enough for rent, her pimp's percentage, or even to get herself a goddamn hamburger.

Running a hand through her hair, she opened her bag to pul out a box of cigarettes. She pulled one out and lit it with her finger **(fire mage)** with most of her remaining energy as she was extremely tired. She then brought the small roll of paper to her lips and took a long drag, savoring the feeling of security and comfort it gave her.

She stayed like that for a while, just outside behind her building of employment - more like torment - smoking her little heart out as she contemplated how she ever ended up where she did when she heard _something_. It sounded like breathing... _heavy_ breathing.

Confused and a bit fearful, she dropped the remainder of her fifth cigarette and stomped it out, crushing the remaining embers as the wind blew about strands of her hair.

"Who's there?" she exclaimed, worry following her words. "M-my shift just ended. Plus, you'll have to come in through the _f-front entrance_."

When she got no response, she spoke a little louder.

"O-Oi, ya' hear me?! I'm not working anymore!" However, her own voice was the only one she heard as it echoed off the brick and stone walls surrounding her.

Feeling scared, Lorraine turned around to go tell the club owner about the strange occurence.

"You _really_ shouldn't have come out here..." a whispery voice suddenly spoke, cold and eerie. Upon hearing the noise, Lorraine yelped in fright, turning around to see a silhouette standing about two meters away from her. The only thing she could make out about the face was a pearly white grin with slightly reddened fangs.

"Wh-what?" the woman asked, beginning to shake (from fear and the cold evening winds). The figure only chuckled at her fear, which only startled her more.

"I _said_ , you _shouldn't_ have come _out here_ , dipshit," it said, stepping closer.

As panic filled her senses, Lorraine turned to throw the door open and run inside the building. Unfortunately, she was stopped when a knife came soaring through the air and imbedded itself in the door, barely missing her face.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… I was _hoping_ to do this with _out_ you spazzing out. Oh well, it _is_ more fun when they _scream…_ " the voice giggled as it held another knife in its small hand.

"What, what do you _want_ from me?" she asked, trying to come up with escape routes and simultaneously trying to summon her fire magic.

It was bitterly silent as Lorraine waited in panic for her attacker to answer, her own heartbeat even fading from her hearing. She swallowed in anxiousness as her eyes tried to make out the figure, when it spoke - albeit quietly, but enough for her to hear its words.

" _I want to see you bleed… bleed and try to scream or cry out for help as I cut you open and play with your insides. You're a naughty girl who obviously likes to have a bit of fun, aren't you?"_ it giggled sinisterly, pulling out another knife.

Lorraine visibly paled at the sight of another weapon and finally managed a small spark of courage to well up within her. Using it, she summoned forth her magic and sent a spiral of blue and red flames straight for her attacker. Said person made a small gasp as it watched the flames head straight for them, but then launched itself high into the air and evaded the attack.

Lorraine fell to rest her hands on her knees, her previous exhaustion hitting her once more. She began gasping for air while simultaneously trying to make her throat less dry.

However, when she finished her little coughing spell, she looked up and saw that her assailant was gone. A wry smile crept onto her lips as the thought of whoever was trying to "murder" her fleeing from her flames invaded her mind.

 _'Ha... serves him right. Fucker had it coming,'_ she thought, pushing herself off her knees. She had dropped her purse during their little excursion and kneeled down to grab it, placing some of its spilled contents back inside in the process.

As she began to stand back up though, a warm brush of air brushed against the back of her neck, which sent a chill down her spine. Then a soft, dark chuckle resonated from behind her.

 _"Ya' know, it's not very good to send all the remaining magic power you currently possess at your attacker..._ especially _during a fight with them~,"_ it said gently, malicious intent hidden just beneath their words.

Lorraine froze on the spot as she felt the magical presence behind her rise dramatically. She had used up what remainder of magic she had left and was now defenseless since they blocked the way to the door.

She yelped in pain as her assailant grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back, slamming it forward onto the cobblestone. Lorraine's head was reeling as she tried to push herself back up, liquid beginning to drip down the side of her head.

A sharp and burning pain suddenly found itself in her shoulder, causing her to scream in agony. Her screams were cut short by a small hand slapping over her mouth in attempts to silence her.

 _"S_ _hut up_ _,"_ it hissed, shoving the knife further into Lorraine's shoulder. The woman continued to scream into they're hand though, ignoring their words as stars danced in her vision before blacking out.

She shortly came to afterward, completely forgetting about her previous situation. She tried moving her hands in attempts to tend to the blearing pain in her shoulder, but found them bound together by the wrists, as with her feet. She also found that a gag was tightly secured around her mouth.

"Whu-whuhf harr uou dhuuin?! Lhed nee kho!" she screamed, panic flooding her senses once more as she frantically tried turning around to see her assailant. Her wide eyes finally settled on a dark shadow of a figure standing before her, a shiny knife blade reflecting the moon's beams.

They started slowly making their way closer toward her, stopping right in front of her face. Lorraine's face visibly dropped in shock and fear as she made out their face.

"Yhou-yhou'rr a sh-!" she couldn't finish her sentence as they plunged another knife _deep_ into her gut. She screamed into her gag as loud as she could manage, blood staining it as it shot out of her throat. The same crimson liquid was also spraying out of her abdomen, dyeing her dress red.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" they asked rhetorically, twisting the blade 180 degrees. Lorraine just continued to wail as she was repeatedly stabbed in various places of her body. **" _Doesn't. It?_** ** _"_**

Lorraine frantically nodded her head while tears streamed like waterfalls from her eyes, white stars blasting behind her eyelids as pain spiraled throughout her bloodstream. As she began to black out again, she could faintly hear the laughter of her assailant, and their voice speaking before she recognized a dull pain on her neck. Then silence. _Forever_.

OooooooooooooO

The morning was on the cooler side as Fairy Tail members started making their way to their beloved guild, talking about recent events they had witnessed or experienced, some involving Reo yet none of them aware of _Magic and More_ 's incident. The mages were entering and acting as they normally would... until Reo walked inside.

Time seemed to come to a slow as she stepped inside the large hall, and some of the people who had caught her strange actions last night stopped to stare her way. Others who hadn't and were confused as to what everyone was looking at turned with puzzled expressions to face her.

Said girl seemed to be looking directly in front of her, yet at nothing simultaneously. If one looked closely, the emotion in her eyes were barely there, if at all, and could be described as only a "blank, grey mess."

She quietly walked toward the bar and clambered onto a stool, face still expressionless, earning a few looks from those around her. However everyone had just shrugged it off and returned to their conversations. Mirajane moved to the girl and quietly contemplated asking her about what happened the night before.

"Um, good morning, Reo! How are you today?" the transformer-mage asked, brushing off the awkward tension she felt swirling in the air due to the youth.

Her question seemed to bring the young girl out of her trance-like state, as her face regained its previous fervor and eyes came back to life.

"Oh, I'm just fine, thank you! How about yourself?" she responded, a large smile on her face. The transformer-mage took note of how Reo ignored whatever issue just happened prior.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Wendy asked, stepping up to the girl she desperately wanted to befriend. "You left in quite a hurry yesterday after Romeo dropped his glass and got cut." Reo paled slightly, eyes opening a little wider before turning to answer the slayer.

"Oh, that… Well, I'm sorry about that. I just don't do well around blood. Its smell is rather strong for my senses and it burns my nose, although it is…intox- Ah... n-nevermind," Reo replied.

"What was that last part?" Natsu asked loudly.

"What?" she asked, noticeably playing dumb.

"Nevermind that! How about you come help me find Romeo so we can talk more?" Wendy asked, attempting to grab her friends' hand. However, she failed when she witnessed Reo very quickly pulled her hand behind her back.

"My hand is still injured, hence the bandaging." The dragon-slayer realized she was attempting to grab Reo's injured appendage, and brought her own appendage back to her chest.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Well, why don't we just… start looking around then?"

"Sure!" Reo replied, a smile replacing her and Wendy's serious tones. Without another thought to their guildmates, the two girls started their search for their fire-mage friend.

"That, was… weird," Gajeel whispered to Natsu.

"Yeah, very. Did you hear her not finish saying ' _intoxicating_ '?" Natsu asked. When Gajeel nodded, the two just stared and decided to keep it to themselves as the day went on.

But soon after, Lucy sprinted in with a newspaper in her hand and a terrified look on her face. She looked absolutely mad, running into the building with disheveled hair, puffy eyes, and an uncoordinated outfit - I mean, she was still in her pajamas!

"Natsu! N-NATSU!" she wailed with tears running down her cheeks. "It's _awful_! Absolutely _**awful**_!" People turned to see her and began moving as to see what was wrong as she immediately darted toward Natsu. Before the fire-mage could ask any questions though, Lucy shoved the paper article into his face just enough so he could read the headline.

" _Brutal Murder of Young Woman in Alley-way Behind_ 'Magic and More,' _Woman Identified as Lorraine Havert, entertainer at said club,_ " he read so everyone could hear. After finishing the title, he looked down to the image and almost threw up at the sight.

On the stone ground lay a decapitated woman with knife wounds all over her body, drying blood pooled around the injuries. Her stomach had been stabbed open, revealing many internal organs stained in dark red/orangish-brown, spilling out of the poor woman's corpse. Her head was a foot or two away from the neck, eyes soulless and half-lidded while her mouth was gagged and soaked in blood.

Natsu was so thoroughly disgusted and horrified, he had to turn away from the sight and put the newspaper down to keep himself from spewing his breakfast.

"Who… Who _could have done this_?" he asked, his voice lowering to a dangerous tone.

"I don't know… but maybe you, Erza, Gray, and anyone else fitting should come with me to investigate," the celestial-mage said, wiping her tears away. "I don't know what on Earthland this could mean, or why anyone would do this, but I-we need to figure it out. And _fast_."

"Mhm," Natsu grunted, turning to search for his comrades. He soon spotted his stripper-friend/rival and the requip-mage eating some strawberry cake at the bar. After approaching them and speaking briefly of the matter, the team got up and began walking toward the exit.

Many guildmates had heard the commotion however, and huddled in a small group around where Team Natsu stood - including Wendy, Reo, and Romeo. The three had moved toward the group and stopped them from leaving with a couple questions, including where they were headed.

"We're going to investigate a… crime scene," Erza told them quickly before continuing to walk out of the guild.

"Can we come with you?" Reo asked quietly. Wendy and Romeo looked toward them with curious eyes, as though silently asking the same question.

"No, this morning you said it yourself; you don't do well around blood because of its strong aroma," Natsu immediately spoke, his voice seemingly cold. "Plus, it's not meant for children to see."

"Oh… _ooohhh_ …" Reo trailed off, understanding. Before she turned to face Wendy again, she looked Natsu straight in the eyes and stared deeply into them.

Feeling the awkward yet serious tension in the air once more, the dragon-slayer darted his eyes to the left and turned around to head out the door with his team.

"Be careful, then. The person who committed the murder may still be out _there_ ," she said, making all four of them stop _dead_ in his tracks.

"What? How… how do _you_ know that it was a murder?" Gray asked, curious like Erza and Lucy.

"On my way to the guild this morning, I saw police tape by this building, and smelled something… _off-setting_ … So I figured it was some sort of crime scene, because there was an ambulance there with police cars and detectives. Plus, Wendy, Romeo and I heard you read the headline aloud, and I put two and two together."

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?! This could have been vital information to help us try and solve the issue sooner!" Erza suddenly yelled, fazing all but the girl she was attempting to scold.

"I forgot. Plus, my memory is quite lacking at times, so I'm sorry," the girl replied, her face unchanging.

"That seems hard to believe," Lucy piped up with a congested nose.

"Well, it's the truth. Half the time, I'm not even sure what day it is, or what I ate last. Look, you can believe me, or you can't. I'm just telling you the truth," Reo said with an annoyed voice. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, and I'll try not to again. But if you're all so eager to get going, I think we'll just allow you to leave now," Reo said. As she finished speaking, she took a couple steps toward the other two mages accompanying her and waited for anything else to happen.

"If you need us for anything, Natsu-san, just tell us - we'd be glad to help!" Wendy added, a kind smile on her lips.

"Yeah. Just ask Natsu-nii," Romeo chimed with a smirk. With that, the three turned to leave, leaving a group of confused mages in their wake. They all just stood there for about a minute in silence, when Gray finally decided to break it.

"Wait, why would she ask if she could accompany us?" Gray asked Natsu, but only got a confused stare back.

"Erza, no way someone could just _forget_ something so important like that…" Lucy whispered to the redhead. She only nodded in response as she and the team went to inspect the scene.

OooooooooooooO

 **Ending of Chapter 5.) The Case Begins! So! What'dya think? Okay, yeah, I know I might've gotten a bit touchy with the whole murder scene and decapitation, but unfortunately for you, that's how I envisioned it. And when I envision something, I tend to delve deeply with it in my writing. So, this might've been a little bit of a let-down action-wise, but oh well. Thank you for following the story (people know who you are!), I really appreciate it and I'm doing summersaults in joy! Thanks for reading, and next chapter will hopefully uncover more secrets! I'm sorry if anyone was OOC, but that's just how I want them to be. THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	6. On the Lookout

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Heyo, I'm here! Chapter 6 is actually existent! So, the HunterXHunter thing I'm writing has become my main interest because I really want to write about Killua and Gon some more. Anyway, I want to thank you for staying with me on this (I appreciate it!). And so with that, constructive criticism and suggestions are appreciated, so yeah.**

 ***Disclaimer* Don't own anyone/anything but Miss Reo-chan**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 6.) On the Lookout

Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and Gray all made their way toward the scene of the crime, asking questions along the way. They all seemed suspicious of Reo's actions earlier as they got closer.

"Honestly, who does she think she's fooling?" Gray questioned, absent-mindedly removing his shirt (again).

"I'm not sure, but as an eight-year-old, she's got quite a mouth. However, she seemed dead-serious," Lucy said. The two continued to chat while Natsu and Erza spoke about the matter on separate terms.

"Natsu, do you know what Reo said when she was talking about how the smell of blood hurts her nose?" Erza asked.

"Gajeel and I believe she stopped before she finished the word, _intoxicating_ , but I'm not sure about Wendy. She might've though, since she tensed up after Reo finished talking," the fire-mage replied.

"Hmm, she is a bit suspicious. Perhaps you were right last night," the requip-mage said, rubbing her chin.

Natsu was about to respond, but then he covered his nose from a strong smell, and the four stopped in front of a building lined with police tape, like Reo had mentioned.

"We're here," Gray spoke.

"Woah, Natsu, are you okay? What's the matter?" Lucy questioned, worried for her crush.

The dragon-slayer was too focused on trying not to let his nose inhale the metallic scent of a crimson liquid staining the cobblestone to answer Lucy.

A member of the detectives and police squad walked over to them and questioned their presence.

"We're mages of Fairy Tail, and we would like to investigate this crime scene so we can find out why this happened," Erza replied, showing her Fairy Tail symbol.

Somewhat hesitant, the investigator nodded his head and allowed the four to pass through to scope the scene.

"This is where the woman's body was located, reported early this morning by the club owner. He came to take out the trash and saw her body, according to his explanation," the official said, looking at his notepad.

"I see, and is there anything else suspicious?" Erza questioned.

"We found many footprints made from the corpse's blood, but they don't lead anywhere, just a circle that ran through this area. However, the footprints were unusually small."

"Un-unusually?" Natsu said, trying not to gag.

"Yes. Um… Is he okay?" the detective asked Lucy, pointing his thumb at Natsu's bent over form.

"Yeah, he's just got a really sensitive nose, and all this blood is messing with it," she replied, looking at the disturbing amount of crimson in the alleyway.

"Okay then. Well, the footprints are too small to be an adults' as you can see," he said, pointing to the small footprints on the cobblestones.

"So you assume it was a teenager of some sort, or a child even?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, maybe, thought that would be even more disturbing. Did you find anything else?" Gray asked, the smell of blood starting to get to him, too.

"No, unfortunately. No weapons or traces of weapons could be found in the area, or area around here."

"Did you look at the security cameras?" Lucy questioned, plugging her nose while helping Natsu stand up.

"We have a specialist looking them over now. So far nothing's surfaced. We can only look at one tape at a time though, so it will take a while to view them all," the detective replied, gesturing to the crew with a tape recorder, a security camera, and a TV screen with multiple wires.

"Interesting. Okay, well thank you for your information. We will try our best to help in any way we ca—" Erza was saying, when she got cut off by one of the camera guys yelling something.

"Come here and check this out, sheriff!" he yelled, waving the detective over.

All of them followed the man over and watched the tapes' footage play:

It was almost pitch black, apart from the moonlight. The television showed a woman standing outside and smoking multiple cigarettes. She looked tired and aged, as she stomped the embers away. She stood out there for a while, checking her money, and then yelling at something. Soon though, she turned to go into the building. That's when a small figure erupted very fast from the shadows and trailed stealthily after her.

The small figure had a knife in its hand and a large white grin with red fangs was plastered on its face. The woman began to panic and turned around to go inside once again, but was stopped dead in her tracks when the small figure threw its knife oh-so gracefully at the door, barely missing her cheek.

The figure then whispered something and began to laugh while approaching the woman. Almost instantaneously, the figure managed to tie the woman's hands and feet together while gagging her in the process with dark red (almost liquid in consistency) binds. While moving around, the ends of the figure's hair could be seen in light, curly and dark red.

The woman was on the ground and began panicking and crying. Soon, she looked up and ceased her pleas for help to say something.

"Yuu. Yuu're a c—" she loudly said before being cut off and having another knife plunged into her abdomen, fast and deep, causing her to scream out in pain.

The small figure only laughed before continuing to stab and taunt her victim mercilessly. Soon enough, she seemingly got bored and decapitated her. After doing so, she put her knife away and whispered, "Tch, pathetic."

The figure then grabbed her knife from the door (stepping onto the woman's innards and blood, making that circular trail) and was just about to leave the scene, when it turned to face the camera. The only thing that was visible was its knife, sterling silver with blue diamonds on the pommel and quillions **(just Google knife quillions if you don't know… I don't know how to describe them)** with thin, red blades, and their eyes; the irises were crimson, but the left eye's sclera was pure black.

It stared straight at the camera and walked straight towards it. Then she spoke.

"So… I guess you saw that, huh?" she asked, her voice sounding two octaves lower than it did before. Her intense gaze made it hard to look at her, seeing as how her eyes were creepy as Hell. The mysterious female then began to laugh and lick the knife's blade.

"Hmph! No matter… it's not *lick* like you know who I *lick* am. Anyway, isn't she _marvelous_!? I did a really *lick* nice job _this_ time. I could have gotten more *lick* screams from her, and though it wasn't my best work, I give *lick* it an eight out of ten!" the female beamed.

"What… the Hell?" Gray questioned.

"Now, just to make this even _more_ fun… I'm gonna leave this here dagger ***holds up dagger she licked, the point cutting her fingertip and causing it to bleed*** in this alleyway for the multiple Fairy Tail mages inspecting my artwork to find. Oh, it'll be so much fun _killing them_ too!" and just after she finished speaking, the camera lens was punctured by a knife blade, killing any ability to view anymore footage.

The last thing that could be seen was her devilish grin as her blood soaked hair (color unidentifiable) and face cracked with the glass.

Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Erza stood in shock. How on Earthland did _she_ know they would be there looking at the crime scene? None of them could explain it.

"We need to find that knife, NOW!" Erza barked. The four split up (as well as some detectives and inspectors) to find the knife. It didn't take long, because Natsu found it in a trash bin (though he almost threw up from the smell… twice).

"Let me see that, please," Lucy asked, taking the knife from the fire-mage's shaky hand. She looked over it with great concentration, inspecting every detail: The metal, the color, the detail, the craftsmanship, and the small drops of red that were spread out on the blade's surface.

"Erza, get a look at this!" Lucy called out, holding the knife up so it could be seen. Erza and the rest of them walked toward Lucy and Natsu to get a better look.

OooooooooooooO

"Man, _that_ was depressing," Gray sulked, walking back to the guild.

"Yeah, after all that inspecting, we didn't find anything but a small knife that didn't help much," Lucy complained.

The four had spent just about the whole day trying to find anything that would crack the case, but their only 'leads' were the alleyway security camera, and the small dagger that was in the trash bin. The blood that was on it definitely belonged to the victim, but there was some unidentifiable specks of the crimson liquid.

"Well, the style of the small knife was from a different time period, seeing as how the markings and general overlook of it wasn't recognizable to any of the detectives or my knowledge on swords," replied the requip-mage.

"Let's tell Master of our findings and just relax at the guild a bit. There isn't much more we can do right now," Natsu said.

Upon reaching the guild hall, the group of four noticed three figures running around outside in front of the doors. One had two long, blue ponytails, one had short black hair and was shooting small flames from his hands, and the last one had messy white hair, and kept falling onto the ground as they got closer.

"Reo-chan! Are you okay?" Wendy exclaimed as Reo fell to the ground once more.

"Yeah, I'm fine! I'm just a bit clumsy," the young girl replied.

"Are you sure? You weren't like this yesterday during the battles," Romeo commented as Reo picked herself off the ground and walked toward said fire-mage.

"Don't worry, I really am just a bit clumsy. I've always been like this, and I kept falling yesterday. I just take extra caution in not falling down or running into things around people I don't kno—oOWW!" she said before tripping over her foot. "Ow… heheh, see?"

"Okay, point made. Hey look, it's Natsu-san!" Wendy said before running to her brother-like figure. Romeo and Reo followed after the dragon-slayer to greet the four.

"How was the investigation?" asked Romeo.

"It went as well as it could have," Erza replied.

"Did you find any clues to help you find the culprit?" Wendy asked **(in case you're wondering why they know so much, they** _ **kind of**_ **read the newspaper Lucy left behind)**.

"Nothing but a security camera recording the police needed to look over some more, and this ***holds up small dagger in a bag*** ," Natsu replied. He then noticed Reo staring at the knife, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Yo, Reo… what's the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just this knife… I'm assuming this was the weapon of choice," she replied, not taking her eyes off the small piece of metal.

"Yeah. We couldn't determine where it's from though. It's definitely not from around here… that much we know. But otherwise, we're stuck," Gray pointed out, trying to think of where it could have come from.

"It could be a French dagger, considering the shape and blade size. However, the jewels on the quillions make me think otherwise. Either way, daggers like these are great for sneak attacks, from what I've read about them," Reo said, taking her eyes off the small knife and looking up at Erza.

"And just how would _you_ know that?" the red-head asked. Just how many things does this kid know?

"I just said that it _looks_ French. I wouldn't know if it really is or not, but did you try looking through some war history books? One might be able to help you. I use them for battle strategies, even though many of them are unsuccessful or lethal, which is NOT what I wish to achieve when in battle. Small blades are good for sneak attacks as well, from what I've read," she said, while pulling a small blade (closely resembling the weapon Natsu was holding) out from her sock.

"Woah, let me see that," Erza demanded, taking the small blade from Reo's hand. She held it next to the knife from the alley and compared the two. Though they _looked_ the same from the distance between her and the small mage, they were very different; for starters, Reo's knife was pale green, not silver. The blade on the attacker's knife was thicker and longer than the small mage's was, and the styles just didn't appear the same.

Reo's knife also looked unused, while the attacker's was old and slightly dented.

"Do you have anymore?" Romeo asked jokingly, pointing at the small green knife. With a small nod, Reo smiled and pulled out multiple; one was holding her messy ponytail (so when she took it out, her hair fell onto her shoulders in a white mess). There were two in each of her sleeves, one on her waistband (which surprised the six of them, since no one noticed it), another one in her other sock, and one on each of the soles of her shoes.

"About ten _on_ me. I have more at home though," she replied. The other mages were surprised to see so many knives on such a young girl. "My brother gave them to me for protection, before he… left. Any more inquiries?"

"Why do you have so many?" Lucy asked from the back of the group. She was truly weirded out by this.

"It's rather easy to lose these, so I keep enough on me in case I lose one, or three, so it won't matter too much."

"Wow, that's cool, but why are they all labeled 'R. Lin?'" Gray asked.

"Lin is my middle name, and the 'R' is for 'Reo.' Can we go now?" the child explained, annoyed by the stream of questions that came from everyone. "I'd like to fix my scraped knees and restock my defenses, if you don't mind."

"Actually, Reo, we need to talk," said Natsu, handing back the green knife.

OooooooooooooO

 **And so that was Chapter 6… I know I was late on updating, and I'm sorry for that, but I got stuck and it was kinda hard writing this time. So you've gotten some clues as to who that attacker is at least (that's good right?), and I've got more story ideas (like for Corpse Party and a sequel for this one if this goes according to plan, and other stuff), so don't be surprised if you see more things. Thank you for reading and I'll hopefully see you later! I aslso apologize if anyone was OOC. THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	7. A Dark Encounter

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Heyo. So, sorry I haven't posted for a while; I just have a ton of crap to do before school ends, like this stupid disease poster for science. Plus I have to study for finals, so I might be even more delayed in uploading/updating than I already am (damn school board). So anyway, constructive criticism and suggestions are** _ **always**_ **appreciated *hint hint*, and yeah.**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't own Fairy Tail… I just own Reo-chan.**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 7.) A Dark Encounter

The sun was setting, painting pink, orange and yellow hues across the sky. A slight breeze was fluttering through the air as some street lacrima began to turn on. The whole thing was rather serene.

Team Natsu came back from investigating the crime scene to see Wendy, Romeo, and Reo playing outside. When giving a report and showing their only lead, Reo observed it and made the four mages suspicious.

"Actually, Reo, we need to talk," said Natsu, handing back the green knife.

"Why? Is something the matter, Natsu-san?" Wendy asked, concerned for her young friend.

"I'm sure it's alright, Wendy. Don't fret," Reo said while fixing her ponytail and replacing her hidden blade. In an attempt to show it was fine, the small mage flashed a warm smile.

"Yeah, it'll be fine, Wendy. She'll be back with you in no time," the fire-mage replied, unheartedly smiling (but it was convincing enough to fool Wendy).

"Well, let's get this over with. It's getting dark and I'd like to go home soon," the small white-haired mage said, her tone changing almost immediately. Reo began dusting off the white blouse and blue skirt she was wearing, waiting for a command.

"Right. Follow us," Erza spoke. She began walking into the guild, everyone following after her. Once inside, she sent Wendy and Romeo to play while the other mages joined her in the infirmary where it'd be quiet and alone.

Almost immediately, the redhead spun on her heals and turned to face the small mage.

"So, you seem very experienced with all of your battle tactics and knowledge on knives. Why is that?" Erza questioned fiercely, making the other mages cringe. Though a normal guildmate would shrink back from Erza's scariness, Reo seemed completely unfazed.

"Well... I studied the topic before I learned magic…um… just so it'd come in handy. You _are_ aware of how many creeps are lurking around, right?" Reo asked back, placing her right hand on her hip.

"She's got a point, guys," Lucy whispered.

"Okay then… Next question. Why do you know so much about human anatomy?" Gray asked, stepping forward.

"I thought I told you this already... ***sigh*** I researched it to help with strategy. It comes in handy when defending myself and declaring victory. The paralyzing touch I use with that knowledge also can vary from a few seconds, to a few years."

"Riiighht…" they all said uneasily (they weren't going to get on her bad side anytime soon knowing that).

"Moving on, how come your injuries from yesterday have just about disappeared, apart from your left arm?" Natsu questioned, looking at her all over.

She didn't answer immediately; just stared at the floor, like she was thinking. Soon though, she snapped out of her thoughts and replied.

"Well, I tend to… uh, heal quickly from small injuries and such. It might be in my blood… And after all, I _did_ say they were minor and I'd be fine the next day," she smiled slightly, raising her hand to her chin.

"But you were so beat up yesterday, you were even limping! And now, you're sprinting and falling down all over the place!" Lucy yelled loudly, catching the small girl off guard and making her jump, then almost trip over her foot. "See?"

" ***clears throat*** Like I said, it might be in my blood. Researching the "Mayushigue" family tree one time, I saw that my family's bloodline had this special "gift" as well," she replied, composing herself.

Natsu wasn't buying her story, then continued to focus on the small girl before him. She was fixing her ponytail, as it had come undone.

"Okay then…Um," Lucy began, trying to think of her words as she raised her hand to her lip, "…Why do you have so many knives again?"

She finished her sentence right when Reo finished tying the knot that held up her hair. She looked up at Lucy with an unreadable look adorning her features.

"What's with all of the repeated questions? I've answered all of these at least once before…" she said, her face suddenly showing irritation. When no one answered, the young girl sighed in annoyance and decided to speak once more.

"As I said _before_ , these knives here ***pulls out knife from waistband*** are rather small, as you can see, and quite easy to lose. So, I keep multiple on me in case I drop or lose one or more." She then began to wipe the blade with the loose end of her skirt, growing agitated.

"So onto another defensive-maneuvers topic, what _is_ your magic power?" Gray inquired. Reo suddenly dropped the knife and stopped moving for about 10 seconds. She finally looked up and stared daggers into Gray.

"What does it matter?" she asked coldly.

"What **matters** is that he, as well as the rest of us, would like to know what type of magic you use, since you _are_ in a magic guild. Answer and you can leave soon," Natsu replied, rolling his eyes.

"What's the _matter_ is that I _don't like_ telling about _it_. I don't like trying to remember or keep track of time, I don't like being questioned, I don't like being around others when its dark, and I most _certainly don't_ like when people try to dig their unwanted noses into my private affairs. So **drop it** ," she snapped back. Her emphasis on the last two words made all but Erza shudder.

"O-oi, try and calm down…" Gray trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and he didn't like it.

Reo didn't say anything. She just bent down and grabbed her knife, then slid it back into her waistband. She looked up and sighed as she turned toward the door.

"I'm going home now. It's almost dark outside, and I _hate_ the dark. It's where the bad things happen, in case you're wondering," Reo said with an icy tone. Natsu then tried to grab her wrist, but she pulled it out of his reach before he could even tap her.

"Just, one more question... Why don't you like people touching you?" the dragon-slayer asked fiercely. She stopped abruptly and slowly turned to face Natsu, an annoyingly vicious stare accompanying.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," was all the young mage said, before opening the door and slamming it shut while walking to the guild exit.

"Well… _That_ could have gone better," Erza said, staring at the infirmary door.

"Yeah, it could have. Why do you think she got so temperamental all of a sudden?" Lucy inquired, looking at the requip-mage.

"Beats me, but she didn't seem happy when we started asking her questions," Gray mentioned, crossing his arms over his clothed body.

"Wait, what does 'temperamental' mean?" Natsu asked, causing everyone to groan.

 **Meanwhile…**

'Honestly, who do they think they are?! Asking me about all of my personal business!' Reo thought as she quietly stomped to the exit. The sky was almost black, and she wanted to get home soon, in fear of the dark.

She hastily made her way to the doors, ignoring the looks people gave her, like she had all her life.

Reo was and is a sweet girl. She's kind, clumsy, and really smart. But she hates being asked questions (especially if she's already answered them, or if they have to do with her past) and didn't like speaking of her magic abilities… ever.

Right when she opened the door, she heard someone call her name from inside; Wendy.

The blunette yelled out to her friend in hopes to catch her attention. When she saw Reo turn around and face her, she was surprised to see her look up without a trace of happiness (emotion, nonetheless) on her face.

"Reo, are you okay?" she asked, walking toward the small girl. She saw that she didn't make direct eye-contact with her and kept staring at her hand.

"Hm? Oh, yeah… I'm fine. But I should go home now, before it gets too dark," the white-haired mage replied before turning and exiting the guild.

"Um… bye?" was all Wendy could say before returning to Romeo and Carla, curiosity flooding her mind.

OooooooooooooO

Most of the guild members had gone home to sleep or went on a late evening mission while the moon shined brilliantly with the stars across the night sky.

Gray was walking Juvia back to her residence in Fairy Hills to keep her safe from danger **(though she's a mage, we all know she would snatch any opportunity she got to spend with the ice-mage, given or not)**.

"So, Gray-sama, how was the investigation earlier?" the water-mage asked, trying to make light conversation.

"Oh, it went okay. We didn't find much though, just an old knife and a security tape," he replied, deciding not to tell his crush about what the murderer said in the video.

"Good. Juvia wanted to make sure everything was alright…" she said in third person (as always).

Gray blushed at her concern-filled eyes and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, we're all good. Nothing happened too out of the ordi-" Gray said, being cut off by a loud crashing sound in the alleyway they were walking past.

The two stared into the alley, trying to see what made the noise and decipher if it was evil or not, but their eyes wouldn't adjust properly. They could see something moving, and hear something, weird.

"Who's there? Are you hurt?" Juvia asked, placing herself in a battle stance. She wasn't sure if this noise was an accident.

No one replied… not verbally, at least. Though nothing was said, the two mages could hear quiet footsteps approaching, accompanied by small giggles.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't some of Magnolia's _fairies_ …" the figure said, seemingly trying to hold in a laugh. "I was worried I wouldn't get to _meet_ any of you. Just my luck."

"Who are you?" Juvia asked.

"Careful Juvia, this is the same person that murdered that woman last night," Gray said, recognizing the voice.

The figure chuckled softly and stopped just before the two could make out her appearance (apart from blood-red hair and glowing eyes, both with crimson irises).

"Ooh, you're smart, Gray. Nice work," she said while slowly clapping, her pale hands appearing translucent in the moonlight.

"What? How… how do you know my name?" the ice-mage asked, placing himself in a defensive stance.

"I have my ways... Hm? She wasn't with you this morning."

"And how would you know Juvia wasn't there?" Juvia questioned, ready to throw a water-slicer at this girl.

"Don't you know anything? Or… wait, did he not tell you? Aawww… how rude," she chuckled, pulling a knife out from the darkness.

'What the Hell is wrong with this chick?' Gray thought as he saw her smile sinisterly while waving the blade around, the moonlight reflecting off its shiny surface. He was beginning to get ticked off, and soon he couldn't take it anymore.

"Ice-Make… LANCE!" he yelled, launching an attack with full force. The sharp pieces of ice launched into the alleyway, straight for the figure looming in the darkness.

However, he didn't realize she moved out of the way of his attack, then began running straight for him. She was so fast, Gray and Juvia didn't even notice she wasn't hit by the ice lances until they heard her yell.

"BLOOD WHIP!" she screamed, her dark silhouette crossing her arms over each other, knives in each hand. The faint sound of skin slicing open and blood dripping was heard, before two large and liquidy-looking, red whips were visibly dripping from cuts on her wrists, grips being the knives in her hands. Gray could have sworn they looked _just_ like the binds the woman was tied with in the security tape.

"What on Earthland?! Juvia yelled, looking above her, then at the figure's silhouette.

"Heheheh… do you like them? I made them _myself._ They're great for tying people up, especially women," she said, pulling her now extended arm back and launching the whip at the two mages.

"Juvia! Get down!" Gray yelled, pushing the water-mage and himself onto the ground. The whip barely missed his head as it shot toward him, then retracted to its owner. Before hitting the ground, Gray could've sworn he heard muffled gurgling. "You bitch!"

"Aaaawwww! You didn't get hit!" the figure pouted, stomping her foot into the ground (which made some cobblestones break and fly upward).

The two mages tried to get up and attack her while she was distracted. Picking himself off the ground, Gray stood and creating a giant axe, propelling it at his target.

"Ice-Make… BATTLE AXE!" his voice echoed off the street walls as a giant axe formed, the ice-crystals glistening in the light of street lacrima around him, and headed straight for the girl.

"Hm? Oh!" she yelled, ducking swiftly before she got cut in half. " _That_ was dirty! Who knew Gray Fullbuster would hit a distracted girl!" As she taunted him, Juvia was beginning to get mad.

"How dare _you_ scold Gray-sama like that! Juvia will make you regret ever messing with Gray-sama! WATER-SLICER!" she yelled, launching three spinning blades of liquid at the figure.

Said figure turned and tried her best to dodge the sudden attack and jumped into the air, but failed in doing so. The blades of water hit her back and tore up the outfit she was wearing, as well as slicing up her pale skin.

"Ow! DAMMIT!" she yelled, before a spray of blood could be seen spurting out of her torso. Her silhouette was leaking as it fell back to the ground and tore off a piece of cloth, tying it around her waist.

She looked up, and through her red hair, were two glowing eyes, that burned holes into the two mages' heads, before turning off and running back into the alley. Suddenly, giggling could be heard after her footsteps.

"Ya' know, GAH, you could have saved… the boy… I had hanging by his neck, on the balcony looming in the, alley… instead of, AGH, _fighting_ _me_ … bakas," she laughed, before speeding off into the darkness.

"Wait, what?" Juvia asked. She then ran into the alley and tried to adjust her eyes to the dark.

When they finally managed to adjust, she looked around, then widened her eyes in horror and screamed for Gray.

There, hanging by a rope of his own intestines with his stomach cut out and his left eye gouged, was a seemingly nine-year old boy. His mouth hung open with a gag tied around it stained in crimson and a mix of blood and tears was still dripping down his cheeks while staining his golden colored bangs.

"G-GrraaaAAAYYYY!" Juvia screamed, feeling tears in the corners of her eyes and pulled her face into her hands. The sight was horrible to look at.

"Juvia! What is… i-it?" he asked, catching sight of the boy. He looked up and his face showed only shock.

"Sh-she set us u-up! She acted a-as a di-distraction and kept us fr-from helping him!" Juvia wailed, falling to her knees. Her tears began to stream down her cheeks as she stared up at the boy.

Gray looked away, and saw a blade, covered in blood on the ground, as well as a metal trash-can knocked on its side to the left of the boy.

"Oh my God… Juvia, that crashing sound… that-that crashing sound was _her_ kicking this boy's only means of prevention from hanging… and we _heard it_!" Gray yelled while slamming his fists into the ground and beginning to cry.

The two mages felt weak as they collapsed and broke down in the middle of an alleyway at 3:00am, at the latest. However...

What they didn't realize is that the same girl that did this was still there.

"BLOOD WHIP!" she yelled, sending forth two red whips, which constricted around the ice- and water-mages' necks and bodies.

"AGH!" they yelled, failing to break free from their captor's clutches.

"Heh, heheheh, ahahahahah, aHAHAHAHAHAH! Did you _really think_ I'd leave you two weaklings like that _without_ trying to _kill you too_?" she laughed, appearing from the dark. " I told you they were good for binding people!" Her form was now visible since the two's eyes adjusted to the dark.

"Wha-? ***GASP(if you can call it that)*** It's you?!" Gray wheezed, his breathing getting more difficult every passing second.

"B-but, why?!" Juvia breathed, trying not to fall unconscious.

The figure only stared at the two, before smiling and walking toward them as she pulled out a small silver knife, like the one that was found at the first crime scene.

"How about I ask _you two_ a question, instead; who wants to taste the blade first?" she asked, before cackling and raising the knife overhead.

OooooooooooooO

 **Ending of Chapter 7.) A Dark Encounter! So what did you think? I'm really sorry for not updating sooner, but you do know I said this would happen, right? It's on my profile somewhere… Idk. Anyway, thanks for reading this and sticking with me (even though I'm really slow and kinda bad at writing)! I really appreciate it. School is almost out, but all the stuff I have to do before getting out of that hellhole, so that sucks. BTW, please review so I have an idea of what you would want to see out of this, KK? I'm sorry if anyone was OOC. THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	8. A Painful Day

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfiction

By Vanillamon

 **Heyo, it's chapter eight. Sorry-not-sorry about the cliffhanger, but I will tell who got to taste the blade first. :) Anyway… I have no more school, so that's a huge plus, right? I'll get to keep working on this and Oh Meh Geawd it's getting interesting! :D So, constructive criticism and suggestions are** always **appreciated (HINT HINT), and all that other jazz, so yeah.**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't have any rights to Fairy Tail, but Reo is mine and MINE ONLY (JK, you can use her for a story if ya' want, just PM me about it first, K?)**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 8.) A Painful Day

"How about I ask _you two_ a question, instead; who wants to taste the blade first?" she asked, before cackling and raising the knife overhead.

" _Please… don't…!"_ Gray wheezed as he saw his assailant walk towards Juvia.

"Hm? Oh, _I_ see…" she said as she changed direction and walked over to Gray's constricted form.

"No, PLEASE!" the water-mage yelled, trying to break free. The thought of Gray getting hurt instead of her nearly broke her heart.

"Oh please, _make up your minds!_ I don't have all night," she said, before thinking of something. "How about I just do _**this**_?!"

With that, she took out another knife and threw one at each of the two. The left one impaled and stayed in Juvia's water-body's thigh (to much of her surprise), and the right one in Gray's gut. The two then cried out in pain, blood beginning to leak as the air in their lungs began to dissipate.

"Heheheheheeee! It's _much_ better to make one suffer _before_ you kill them… like I did with him," the figure giggled, pointing to the boy hanging on the balcony.

"You-You're a m-monster…" Gray whispered before passing out, Juvia following suit.

"Hmmm? They're both "asleep…" oh, _this_ is going to be **fun** …" _she_ giggled before pulling her knives out and attacking her unconscious victims mercilessly.

OooooooooooooO

The cool morning air was guaranteed to send chills up anyone's back if they walked outside. Lacrima began turning off as the sun began to rise and light was threading through building corners.

Wendy was heading to the guild with Carla and Reo to see available jobs. The blunette awoke in her Fairy Hills residence to the sound of loud knocking on the door and the quiet yells of her young friend's voice.

 **~FLASHBACK~**

"Wendy! Wendy! Let's go to the guild! There are good jobs that will be taken if we don't!" she whisper-yelled eagerly.

"But, it's so early! Even the sun is still trying to sleep!" Wendy yelled back, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "And how did you find my-"

"I asked around. Can we go please? It would be really cool to go on my first job with you and Carla!"

Wendy couldn't help but smile at that. She remembered her first job and how excited she was to go with Happy and Freed.

"What's the matter, Wendy?" Carla asked sleepily.

"Reo wants to go on her first mission. Okay, Reo! I'll get ready and we'll leave!" the dragon-slayer yelled hopping out of bed.

"Really? YAY!" the small mage exclaimed, beginning to jump up and down. However, she lost footing and tripped, making her hit Wendy's outer wall.

Wendy was putting on a dress when she heard Reo's weight impact the wall. Feeling concerned, she went to the door and opened it to see the white-haired mage lying on the floor, eyes swirly and mouth open in a cocky-like smile.

"I-I'm okay… Lezz GOO!" she yelled before passing out, causing Wendy to chuckle and continue to get ready.

 **~END FLASHBACK~**

"Oh I'm so excited! I've read a lot about Fairy Tail's missions! Are they truly as rambunctious as they're written?" Reo asked her friends, skipping alongside her.

"Heehee! All that _and_ more," the blunette said back while smiling.

"Wow, really? Because I've read that Natsu-san, Gray-san, and Erza-san once blew up… a-" she stopped, making Wendy curious.

"Blew up a what?" she asked, looking down at Reo. She was staring ahead of them, her nose twitching furiously.

Nothing was said for a few moments, and silence became their primary sound. Reo kept staring, and she started sniffing around her like Natsu would.

"Um, Reo? What're you doing?" Wendy asked, beginning to get weirded out.

"…I smell blood," she whispered, covering her nose in disgust. She started walking away from the dragon-slayer and exceed and toward an alleyway.

Wendy was thrown off by her sudden words, but then she could smell it too. The scent of three people's blood was in the direction Reo was walking toward.

"Reo, wait!" the dragon-slayer yelled, running after the girl.

When she finally caught up to her, Reo was staring into the alleyway, not moving. Her fingers and eyes were twitching and her lips were slightly parted and quivering. A look of pure terror was on her face.

Wendy was confused for a moment. She then decided to look up, and wished she hadn't.

In the alleyway were three bodies, badly mutilated; one was an undoubtedly-dead boy hanging by his neck on a balcony, his intestines being cut out from his stomach and being his noose and rope. His blood was dripping and drying all over his body and face, while his nongauged eye was showing the remaining horror he must have felt before death.

Two, was a male on his stomach with stab/cut wounds all over his arms and torso. Fresh blood was pooled around him and still dripping while his now-crimson coat was torn every which way. His legs and arms looked as if someone had painfully crumpled them like a used napkin, and the dark, bloody hair on his head was hiding his face from view.

And three, was a woman's body lying on her back, knees pointing up to the sky and arms sprawled out from her abdomen. Her hair was stained in crimson and raggedly covering her face. Her back was slightly arched and she was covered head-to-toe in knife wounds. She was also missing a shoe and her clothes were torn to shreds, exposing her bloodied chest.

Wendy went wide-eyed as she stared ahead at the people and began to cry. Never had she seen something so horrid. Remembering Reo was there, she tried to get her to look away, but failed when Reo slipped past her and walked toward the three.

She stopped directly in front of the woman's body and looked at her closely, surprising Wendy (in a bad way). She then gasped and began to back away.

"I-it's… it's…" she was stuttering as she walked away from the woman. Without realizing it, she stepped in and slipped on the blood pooled around her feet.

"KYYAAAAAAA!" she screamed as she fell into the blood **(I know, "KYA" isn't original, but what did** _ **you**_ **have in mind?)**. She then looked incredibly distressed as she tried to get up off the ground, and tried getting the blood off.

"Reo, calm down!" Carla yelled in a vain attempt of shushing the girl. Then when Reo faced the two, Carla saw a future thing **(Oh my God I've been sitting here for three hours trying to think of the word but it won't come to me A/N)**.

Carla saw a female figure with bloody red hair and crimson eyes (one had a white sclera, while the other was black… like the murderer) while holding a small knife in each of her hands, standing over fallen Fairy Tail members. She was wickedly laughing as she raised the knife over her head and plunged the knives straight into someone's back.

Lucy's scream echoed and definitely expressed her pain, but she was unable to do anything. The figure was cackling as she continued to stab Lucy until she stopped moving. Then the figure turned directly toward where Carla's eyes were watching this and spoke while licking her blades.

" ***Giggles psychotically*** … Wendy and * **lick** ***** Natsu are next… and Wendy goes ***** **lick** ***** first, okay Carla?" she asked, before charging for Carla and throwing a knife toward her.

Carla's future sight-thing then ended and she fell to the ground, shocked at what she just witnessed.

"It's… IT'S JUVIA!" Reo finally screamed, running in terror toward Wendy. The blood on her hands was staining her and Wendy's clothes and getting on both of their skin.

Reo was in tears as she clutched onto her friend for comfort (the first time she actually touched someone… which surprised Wendy).

"But, Gray was walking with her last… night…" Wendy gasped in realization as she stared at her injured guildmates. She noticed the male's hair looked just like Gray's, and so did his coat.

"We need to help them immediately!" Carla said, walking toward them and avoiding the blood. It gave her bad feeling.

"We need * **HIC** ***** to call the * **HIC** * police and tell the * **HIC** ***** guild!" Reo yelled between hics and sobs. The poor girl was probably traumatized at the sight.

"R-right, let's go Reo! Wendy, see if you can help them at all," Carla said, taking hold of Reo's collar and flying the light-as-air girl toward the guild.

"Okay!" Wendy yelled to them, running toward her friends. She took a look toward the hanging boy and tried to hold back a cry.

' _I'm so sorry you suffered, may your soul find peace,'_ she thought for him as she kneeled by Gray. His beaten form made her cringe.

"G-Gray? Are you a-awake?" the dragon-slayer asked, beginning to use her magic to fix his left arm. He made no sign of movement, which worried Wendy. "Gray? GRAY!?"

His left hand twitched and his chest slowly rose up and down, making Wendy's beating heart slow.

"Don't worry Gray, I'll do everything I can to help you. Don't say a word and hold on."

"H…help," he whispered, his breathing strained and raspy. Wendy looked at him with teary eyes as she moved to his other arm.

"I'm doing everything I can, don't worry," she replied, a lump in her throat.

"…H-help… Ju-Juvi…a," he whispered, slowly moving his head in the direction of the water-mage.

"Okay! Don't move, and stay away from any bright lights!" Wendy yelled, earning a dry chuckle from Gray. She raced toward Juvia's beaten form and began using her magic to fix the most lethal injuries. "Juvia, You're okay, right? Wake up, please!"

Juvia made no indication that she was awake, or asleep. Wendy's eyes went wide and Gray started trying to move toward her.

"J-Juvia… _please_ … **w-wake up** …" Gray wheezed, reaching his less-broken hand to grab his friends'. Her skin was cold, none of the heat that normally radiated through it there.

Gray's eyes closed as he tightened his grip.

' _Please…_ _ **please wake up**_ _,'_ he thought. Juvia's fingers then twitched and curled around Gray's, causing him to look up with teary eyes.

"Gr-Gray-sama…" she whispered, then went into a painful coughing fit, blood being hacked up and dripping down her chin.

"Oh, thank goodness! Juvia, you're alive!" Wendy exclaimed, relieved beyond belief. Juvia attempted to sit up, but was gently pushed back down by the dragon-slayer.

"Woah! You both need extreme care! So don't move, and try to regulate your breathing… also meaning no talking. I'm going to use my magic to put you into a deep sleep so you won't feel pain when the guild arrives to help.

After saying so, she started using her magic on Juvia first, figuring her pain was severe after her coughing fit. When finished, she moved over to Gray and decided to question him.

"What on Earthland happened to you guys? Carla, Reo and I were so worried when we found you!" she exclaimed, tears welling up once more.

When she was finished speaking, Gray's closed eyes shot wide open and looked up at her in fear.

"You… you need t-to st-stay away…!" he quickly spoke, causing his chest to hurt briefly. "S-she's… dangerous!"

"What? What do you mean? Who's dangerous? Gray? Gray!?" she tried to get him to answer, but her magic took its affect, and he started falling asleep.

"I-it… was…" he trailed off, closing his eyes and passing out.

"Gray? Dangit! I should have asked that first…" Wendy said to herself, continuing to try and help her friends until she heard other voices.

"Oh my God! Wendy, is that you!?" a voice called out to her: Lucy.

Immediately, Wendy raised her head and there stood some of her guildmates, Reo and Carla in front.

"Everyone! I need your assistance! Juvia and Gray are badly injured and I'm unable to help them much more!" she yelled to them, standing up from her position on the ground. Her clothes and hands were covered in blood as she walked toward her friends.

"Come on! We need to help them!" Erza yelled at them all. Natsu and Elfman raced toward Gray and tried to lift him gently, and Mirajane and Lucy ran for Juvia, lifting her body off the ground the softest they could.

"Let's go!" Erza barked, causing everyone to start for the guild infirmary and Porlyusica's. Wendy then stopped and noticed Reo wasn't following.

"What's the matter, Reo? We need to go," Wendy said looking at her friend. She was turned around and staring at something.

"What about him? We can't just leave him like that… it's cruel," she said, pointing to the boy hanging on the balcony. Her bangs covered her eyes as she faced them.

"Oh My GOD!" Lucy screamed, seeing his body. Mirajane and Erza turned and stared in horror and sorrow at the boy. Elfman turned away, hoping not to see him again, and Natsu adjusted his grip on Gray to use his hand and cover his nose and mouth while squeezing his eyes shut.

"As much as I hate to say it, but we have other things to worry about, Reo. We need to go now," Erza said sadly, turning her attention to Mirajane.

"She-she's right, we have to leave," the white-haired mage said, motioning for Lucy and her to move Juvia.

As everyone turned to leave, Reo turned to walk toward the boy.

"Then I'll meet you… this boy wasn't walking out at night, otherwise his parents would've been with him. And I don't see them anywhere," she said looking around the alley. Everyone stopped and took note of her observation.

"Why does that matter? For all we know, he could have been stolen out of his house and taken here, poor kid!" Natsu said with a nasally voice.

"What _matters_ is that he-" she was cut off by the sudden opening of the balcony doors. A young woman came out, holding a little girl in her arms. Her hair was messy and she looked **very** tired.

"What's with all the noise? You all woke up my…" she stopped, observing all of the blood and people below her. "Wh-what the HELL IS THIS!?"

"Ma'am? Do you have a son?" Reo asked her, ignoring her question.

"What?"

"I asked if you had a son, ma'am. Around nine years old?"

"I uh… yes, I do," she answered hesitantly.

"Does he… does he have blonde hair and blue-gray eyes?" Reo asked once more. Suddenly, pieces started connecting in the other guildmates' minds.

"Yes, he does. Why?! Did something happen?" the woman asked frantically. She set her daughter down behind the doors.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm afraid there's been an accident involving two mages and a young child… We're from Fairy Tail, and just found two of our mages very injured in this alleyway here. There is also… also a young boy's body here," Reo said, sympathetically.

"What?! W-where?"

"Oh my God…" Lucy whispered, as she and the other guildmates stared horrified at the woman and Reo.

The small mage motioned for the woman to come down, and she used an escape ladder, not noticing the boy's corpse on her balcony.

"Where is he?" the woman asked frantically. She started looking around and then saw his body.

All she could do was stare at him, a terrified look on her face.

"Th-Theo?" she asked, walking toward him. When she saw his face up close, she put her face in her hands and began to sob hysterically. "No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! My baby… My BABY!"

"Ma'am, I'm terribly sorry for your loss…" Reo whispered holding back a cry, patting circles in her back as she continued to bawl.

"Who on Earthland could have done something this terrible?" Elfman said, not saying a word about manliness.

"I don't know, but we'll get whoever did this to Gray, Juvia, and the other victims," Mirajane said, clenching her fist.

"Right," they all said, determined to find their culprit.

"Lucas! I'm so sorry, baby! I'm so sorry!" the woman continued crying by her son's body.

"Ma'am, we'll get whoever did this, and make sure this never happens again," Erza said, walking to her bent form.

She looked up from the ground and gave her a nasty look, hot tears running down her cheeks.

"You'll get them and _then_ what? It won't bring him back! He'll _never_ come back!" she screamed, making Erza step back. The red-haired mage then noticed Reo's stream of tears, as well.

"M-ma'am, would you come w-with me? I'll help you f-file a report… and we can h-have him c-cleaned up," the small mage said, trying to help the grieving woman off the ground.

When she did stand up, she took a hold of Reo's hands and held them tightly. The small mage stiffened at the sudden movement (like she was in pain), but tried to ignore it.

"You're all from Fairy Tail?" she asked solemnly. When looking up, she saw Erza walk toward her and nod. "Right…. My apologies for yelling, Miss…?"

"Scarlet. Erza Scarlet, and no trouble. Now, you should go with Reo to report the matter," she spoke in response.

She nodded and started following the small mage to the police. They all stared in amazement. Just how did Reo know that was his home? Mirajane ran the question and possible outcomes through her brain several times, seeing if she could come up with anything. Unfortunately, she got nothing.

OooooooooooooO

Juvia and Gray were unconscious as they lay in the guild infirmary. Porlyusica finished working on them and had left the guild after explaining the two mages' conditions.

Everyone was quiet, and Reo still wasn't back yet. The sky was turning orange-ish pink, and people were starting to leave. Mirajane quietly cleaned glasses and served drinks, and Team Natsu (minus Gray) was sitting silently at a table.

"I wonder where Reo is…" Wendy said, putting her hands in her lap. No one said anything; they just looked up, then looked back down again.

"I wouldn't know, Wendy. I'm sure she'll be back soon, or she just went home," Erza reassured, but she (as well as Natsu, Mira, and everyone else that was there) too, was curious of the small girl's whereabouts.

Then one of the guild doors opened, and in came a tired looking Reo. Her hair was down, and she slightly lifted her feet off the ground every time she took a step.

"Reo-chan! Where have you been?" Wendy asked frantically, rushing to her friend's side.

"I was helping that poor lady. She needed some assurance and comfort, so I did all in my power to help her. She was quite distressed, as you can imagine. Poor soul," she said rubbing her hands. They looked slightly inflamed and bruised (especially the left, since it still hadn't healed).

"What happened to your hands?" Lucy asked, standing and walking toward the two. Reo then slid her hand behind her back.

"She had a strong grip…" she said sheepishly. Reo turned and looked outside, and sighed. "It's getting dark, and I think I might head home soon."

"But you just got here!" Wendy exclaimed. She wanted to talk more and was curious as to what happened with the boy's mother.

"I know, and I apologize, but I'm rather tired and it's almost dark."

"Why is it you always gotta be back to your house before dark?" asked an annoyed voice. Natsu then stood up and faced her.

OooooooooooooO

 **And that was Chapter 8.) A Painful Day! I know, it was rather depressing, and I'm sorry it took a while (allow me to be sorry-not-sorry about it being so long)! I just kept having things pop into my head one-after another (I've had the mother and son thing for a while, and please don't be mad about that!), and it took forever to sort it all out. Seriously though, as I write this, I still don't know the word for Carla's future thingy, and I've finished this whole thing three days** _ **after**_ **I wrote that bit (UGH)! Whatevs, thanks for reading and don't forget to review! I'm sorry if anyone was OOC. Also, my friend Pineappleluvuh and I have been speaking, and we've decided that she and I are not going to post the next chapter until someone reviews for us. This goes for my other stories as well. THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	9. Revenge Will Be Sweet

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Heyo, it's Chapter Nine (woot woot). I'm surprised I've made it this far to be honest… and I really appreciate you people taking time to read the chapters I post (THANKYOU!1111111!) So anyways, summer, yeah? How's that going for ya' so far? Great, you can actually tell me in the form of a review if you want, and I'll keep trying to write! I apologize about the HunterXHunter story (if you're reading it, that is) and how I haven't uploaded it for a while. I have no excuse for that and I'll try to work on it (though that's currently not working out)! Anywaaayyy… Constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated, and if ya' got any ideas, lemme know!**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't have rights to anything but Miss Reo-chan (and the murder** _ **victims**_ **)**

Now, LET'S BEGIN!

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 9.) Revenge Will Be Sweet

"Why is it you always gotta be back to your house before dark?" asked an annoyed voice. Natsu then stood up and faced her.

She looked straight at him and let out an annoyed sigh.

" _Because_ , Flame-brain, I don't _like_ the dark, it's where the bad things happen… like what happened last night, and there's monsters in the shadows," she replied (like it was completely obvious). Her face clearly showed agitation when she looked at him.

A vein probably popped on Natsu's forehead when the small mage called him "flame-brain," something he'd only let Gray get away with (not really, though). It obviously bothered him.

"What. Did you. Just. Call me?" he asked with a twitching eye. The first thing in his mind was, 'Is she picking a fight with me? Because if so, she would so be. Going. **Down**.'

"How are you so simple-minded? Flame. Brain. F-L-A-M-E, B-R-A-I-N."

That set him off, seeing as how he lit his hands on fire and immediately started running toward the girl. Reo saw where this was heading, and began to race toward the fire-mage so she could punch his ignorant head.

However as the two were centimeters away from landing their first blow, they felt a strong evil aura surround them, then slowly turned to see Erza giving them a death-stare.

"ENOUGH!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the guild walls. The two stopped dead in their tracks and just stared in fear. "We have enough problems with this murderer on the loose. We don't need you two destroying the guild hall! So knock it off or so help me I will tie you to one another and after beating you senseless, hang you from the CEILING!"

The younger mage immediately composed herself and bowed respectively and apologetically in her superior's direction (knowing all too well that she _would_ make her threat a reality). Natsu nodded slightly and let the flames incasing his hands dissipate.

"S-sure, Erza/Erza-san!" they said, faking friendly smiles and placing their hands behind their backs.

Giving the two another look, Erza nodded and stepped back to give herself some space.

"W-well! I'm just gonna gooo… and I'll see you all tomorrow! Please have a safe evening, everyone!" Reo yelled, opening the guild doors and beginning to walk out into the sunsetting outside. However, Erza moved forward (once more) and grabbed her shirt collar.

"Were you not aware of what happened last night, or did you forget instantaneously?" Erza asked fiercely. "Safety after what happened is our number one priority. So from now on, all mages have to be accompanied by at least two other mages while going home, starting **now**."

"W-what? When was this put into order?" the startled white-haired mage asked quickly. When all she received was a _just-now-get-used-to-it_ look, she sighed and crossed her arms after Erza ceased her grip. "Fine, then."

"Hey, shouldn't we have some people stay to watch and treat Gray and Juvia?" Lucy asked.

"Of course, which is why I'll be staying overnight with Master and Erza this evening," Mira piped up from the counter with a smile.

With that in mind, everyone began finding their guildmates and started to leave; Team Shadow Gear (leading Levy home first), Gajeel, Lily, and Cana **(weird, I know)** , Elfman, Evergreen, Lisanna, Romeo, Wakaba, and Macao **(minimum of three, max of six)** , and Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Reo (much to Natsu's and her dismay), and other groups within the guild.

OooooooooooooO

As the last group mentioned was walking, Lucy grabbed onto her crush's arm like it was a security blanket while Happy was on top of Natsu's head and holding his hair tightly in his paws. Wendy securely held Carla in her arms and Reo folded her hands behind her back.

"Wow, the sky is so pretty right now!" Wendy exclaimed, looking at the warm colors painted across the late summer sky, small traces of blue having yet to be found. The colors gently blended with one another, making the palette above look quite smooth.

"Definitely!" Lucy exclaimed. She tried not to think of what was happening when the sun went down completely, but couldn't fully get it out of her head.

"It is pretty, but we need to focus on getting home safely," Carla reminded. Her future-thingy **(still can't figure it out)** from earlier was occupying her thoughts, making her afraid.

"Don't worry Carla, we'll be fine. What do you think Reo-chan?" Wendy asked cheerfully.

"Y-yeah, it is…" Reo said, glancing up then back to her feet.

"Hm? What's the matter? Are you alright?" the sky dragon-slayer asked, tapping her shoulder.

The girl didn't seem to notice her touch, much to Wendy's surprise. It seemed like Reo never made physical contact with people (much less let them touch her), but was she now okay with it?

 **Meanwhile with the elder mages…**

"Natsu, who should we take back after this?" Lucy asked, her grip slightly tightening. The group slowly made their way to Fairy Hills to drop off Wendy and Carla.

"I don't know… maybe you?" he replied nonchalantly. Secretly, he was planning on talking to Reo briefly before taking her home and going out after dropping everyone off (and Happy fell asleep) to hunt down the murderer.

"…Maybe we can drop off Reo next. I mean, she is only eight years old, or so she says."

"Well, we don't really know where she lives… plus I want to talk to her," the fire-mage explained. He took a look at the younger girls behind them, Wendy's hand on Reo's shoulder and the younger mage with her head dow-

Wait, Wendy was touching her. _Touching_ her, as in physical contact? He wondered if he was seeing things, because this is the first time he's seen her let Wendy (really anyone) touch her and not get told off or nudged about it.

He decided to brush it off and continue chatting with Lucy. However, she seemed to notice the small look of confusion he wore before facing her.

"What's up?" she asked, before turning to look at the girls. She quickly glanced and turned after about a second, in case the two would notice. "Um, she's letting Wendy…"

"Yeah, I know. It's weird, isn't it?" Natsu asked quietly. Lucy just nodded and looked ahead of her to see that they had finally reached Fairy Hills.

"Yeah, it's okay, no need for worry! You can talk to me anytime, kay?" Wendy finished saying when she realized Natsu and Lucy stopped.

"Hmh, thanks Wendy-san," Reo replied, a small smile on her face.

"Heehee! No problem, and you don't have to address me with such formality! It makes me feel old! Besides, we're friends, aren't we?" the sky dragon-slayer asked.

"…friends?"

"Yeah! Friends!" Reo then gave a small smile and nodded happily, her eyes closed as if holding back tears. "I'm glad!"

"Wendy, we're here; time to go now," Carla said from the dragon-slayer's arms. Wendy looked down at her exceed friend and nodded slightly as she started for the entrance to her home.

"Thank-you for taking me home everyone! Have a safe evening!" she yelled before entering the building, then she was gone.

"Well, let's drop you off next, Luce!" Natsu said, a half-hearted smile on his face.

"Really? But, what about Reo?" she asked taking a look at the now lonely girl behind the two. She was looking downward and her face now seemed sullen. Her hands were fastened behind her back and she stood there doing nothing.

"We'll take her after we drop you off! Besides, you live kinda close and we would keep you waiting while looking for her house, meaning less time for a fish!" Happy exclaimed from his partner's head.

"Right… okay then," Lucy said, facing her attention to the Exceed and dragon-slayer. The four then started walking toward Lucy's apartment, while the sky was beginning to lose its palette of colors.

Reo was noticing the color change, and started quaking as she continued. Her breathing became a little bit quicker paced, and she took smaller and faster steps.

"U-u-ummm… i-it's getting da-darker…" she squeaked, as she soon caught up with Natsu and Lucy. Her lips began quivering and pulled her shaking hands to her chest.

"Huh, you're right. Natsu, we should hurry up…" Lucy said. Hearing the girl's words. She didn't notice she was scared until she looked behind her and saw Reo's shaking form, especially her widened eyes that looked slightly, red on the… bottom?

"Don't worry, we're almost there, see? I can see your building from here…" he trailed off, stopping in his place as Lucy and Reo stopped a few feet ahead of him.

"Natsu, what's the matter?" the celestial-mage asked, turning to face her friend. He seemed to be sniffing as he looked around. He kept twisting and smelling for something. "Uh, Natsu?"

"I smell blood and salt…" he said, turning his gaze to Reo. Her bangs were covering her eyes and she held a light blue and white handkerchief in her hands. She was sniffling after each breath she took. "Reo, why do _you_ smell like that?"

She didn't answer; she just brought the handkerchief up to her eyes and wiped something away. When it came back down, Lucy and Natsu weren't expecting to see the small cloth covered in red splotches.

"What the Hell?!" he asked, taking a step back. He was rather surprised, considering seeing someone cry blood was definitely _not_ normal. Then he felt worry for her (since she is a guildmate) and kneeled to her level. "What's the matter with you?"

"What happened? Is everything okay, Reo?" Lucy asked, a frantic look on her face. Reo then raised her head, and sure enough, there were streaks of blood pooling around and falling from her eyes onto her cheeks.

"What?" Reo asked, a curious glint in her (literally) red eyes. Was she not aware of what was happening?

"You're crying blood!" a scared Happy yelled, noticing the trouble.

"Huh?" she whispered, bringing her handkerchief to her wet cheek and wiping the red streaks away. When she pulled the small cloth down, it was indeed red and smelled of salt and blood. "Oh, so I am," she replied calmly.

"Um, isn't that **bad**?!" Lucy yelled more angry than scared since she acted so calm. Seriously, how can someone take all of this in so rationally?!

"Yeah! You had us worried and now you act like it's nothing! What's the matter with you?" Natsu exclaimed frantically. The worst part about this to him was that she didn't seem to care in the slightest.

"Noth-nothing's wrong with m-me. Me crying blood i-is part of the magic I study and use. This i-is completely normal for m-me," she stuttered, wiping the blood from her cheek once more.

"Well in case you haven't noticed, crying blood is _**not normal**_! I think of all people _you_ would know that!" Natsu yelled, an annoyed look on his face. That set her off, because after he finished scolding her, her lips began to quiver, her hands balled into little fists, and Natsu could see her jaw clench. With the way she was reacting and her bangs covered her eyes, the fire-mage thought she would throw a jab his way.

He prepared to fight her, getting into a stance, and right when he thought she'd explode on him…

She let out a loud sob in the middle of the street. Her red tears brought an unbelievably strong scent to his nose as the blood mixed with the saltwater that would spill from a normal person's eyes. She had her mouth open, pointed canines projecting from her mouth, and her sobs echoed throughout the evening air. Lucy, Natsu, and Happy stood there dumbfounded at her actions.

Lucy was first to snap out of her daze and turned to smack Natsu's head (which was successful).

"Ow! What was that for?!" the fire-mage yelled, rubbing the back of his head while eyeing the celestial-mage he had fallen for long ago.

"What do you think?! You yelled at a little girl and made her cry! Apologize to her!" she yelled back, Reo's sobs audible behind the two's yelling.

"I didn't think she'd start bawling! And anyway, you should be the one apologizing!" he shouted defiantly.

"Me?! What did I do?!" Lucy asked, her arms shooting into the air.

"You yelled at her first!"

"And you continued that argument!"

Natsu was gonna respond, and Lucy was gonna argue her claim more, but they both stopped when they heard Happy speak.

"Um, where did she go?" he asked, lowering himself from Natsu's head and looking around.

"What? She just left?!" Lucy asked. She too began looking around to try and locate the younger girl.

"Dammit! The smell of her tears is just about everywhere! I can't track it!" Natsu yelled, covering his nose.

"Then let's look for her! The street lacrima are turning on, and she said she's afraid of the dark! What if she has a panic-attack or gets attacked by the murderer?!" the celestial-mage screamed, her face screaming fear and worry.

"Alright, let's go! That way doesn't smell like her too much," he said while sniffing in the direction of Lucy's house.

The trio then ran in the opposite direction and began looking for the girl

 **Meanwhile…**

'Crap, crap, crap, crap!' Reo thought as she saw street lacrima turn on. She continued running as fast as her little feet would carry her in hopes of reaching her home before the sun went completely down and the last bit of sunlight was squeezed out of the horizon.

Reo was deathly afraid of the dark, and she was entitled to be. It's where the woman from the newspaper and the boy from the balcony were killed, and where her guildmates were hurt. It was also during the evening she and her brother fleed from their parents, and was ordered to be decapitated.

She pushed her legs harder and turned a corner. She was almost there, almost home. She managed to give Natsu and the others the slip while the two argued and wasted the remaining light they had, which probably left them in the dark (literally). She felt slightly guilty for the other two being stuck with that imbecile, but was pulled out of her thoughts when she almost tripped again.

"He's just, so… ARGH! I can't even describe his simple-mindedness!" she yelled into the night, taking bigger steps. She finally saw her building and sprinted an extra bit to reach it before she was completely drenched in darkness.

Her apartment wasn't too bad, and the rent was decent to pay for a small two roomed place. The only problem being that the street lacrima surrounding the entire area near and in front of the building didn't function properly, covering it in complete dark (other than the few windows that were lit from the inside).

She made her way to the front door and gripped the handle tightly with a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard three voices and many footsteps behind her.

"REO!" they yelled, sounding angry, worried, and agitated all at once. Slowly, she turned her head and saw the three mages she ran from to reach her apartment.

She gave them a startled and confused look as she turned fully to face them. They stopped at the steps and panted heavily from their chase.

"What were you thinking ***pant***? Running away ***pant*** like that?" Lucy asked, hands on her knees.

"You guys were taking f-forever, and it's dark! I mean, look around u-us!" she yelled back, fear making its way onto her face.

"Doesn't mean you just leave us behind!" Natsu retorted. He took note of where they were; a dark apartment place with few shops around it at the end of the street. "This is where you live?"

"Y-yes! I'm sorry I left but… Now that I'm home, I suggest you two do the s-same, so you don't get attacked," she said quickly. She bowed respectively and opened the door, slipping inside the light hallway. That left the three outside alone and in the dark.

"Well, let's get you home now, Lucy!" Happy said from the ground. He wore a smile and flew onto Natsu's shoulders. Brushing aside her confusion, she nodded and they started walking back to Lucy's apartment, slightly annoyed.

"So much for talking to her on the way back," Natsu mumbled to himself as he grabbed Lucy's hand and held it securely in his unconsciously (not like she minded). His agitation was brought down a bit when he thought of his purpose for staying out late.

When he gets his flaming hands on that brutal female, she would regret _ever_ being born.

OooooooooooooO

" _Damn, that water-mage did a number last night, that bitch,"_ a voice said to herself as she sat perched on a street lacrima pole. The sources of light around her seemed to go out in her presence, allowing the dark to consume her.

" _Heh, no matter. I attacked her and that ice-prick as payback… what were their names… Julia and Cray, I think they called each other? Heehee, oh how fun it was to stab them so. I wonder how their Fairy friends liked the scene? Especially that little kid… poor brat had no idea what the fuck he was in for!"_ she laughed.

The evening's breeze played with her dark red hair, blowing the wavy strands about. Waiting for the perfect time to attack someone, she fiddled with a small blade in her hands. The small tool had dried blood all over it as she ran her fingers over its now dull and rough edges. It wouldn't be able to cut very well in this state, but that just made her "game" more fun.

The moonlight did little to provide light for anyone walking about, if they were daring to leave their home, that is.

" _I'm surprised no one has started looking for me yet in attempts to rid this wretched city of my presence. I mean, there's no police men, no vengeful family members, not even any guild mages. Keh, these people really_ are _fucking cowardly_ _,"_ she spoke, sitting up from her slouching position.

Her nerves were slowly becoming restless as she was 'forced' to wait for another victim to waltz their way to their doom. It wasn't all that likely (since news was spreading quickly on her artwork) that anyone would be out, but that gave her more determination to be more creative when working.

' _Heh, Fiore's strongest guild: Fairy Tail, huh? They don't seem like all that to me, considering their performance last evening was rather pathetic. I guess air deprivation has its perks, though,'_ she thought to herself, a smirk forming on her cold and pale lips.

Deciding sitting around wasn't going to help, she slid off the lamppost to hunt someone down. _Like tag_ , she mused. If she was lucky, she would find a Fairy Tail member to attack senselessly once again.

" _They will pay for what they did to me, those stupid fuckers. Eheheh, and it_ will _be sweet,"_ she laughed, sprinting through an alley to blend in with the shadows once more. As she left, the lacrima turned on slowly, lighting up the forlorn street.

OooooooooooooO

 **Ending of Chapter 9.) Revenge Will Be Sweet. So it wasn't too eventful, and the whole chase thing was rushed and slightly irrelevant, but that's how it will be. I'm not really sure what else I could/should say, so I'm gonna wrap this up soon. I decided to write in the murderer's POV, just so you could take a break from everyone else for a short segment. Just so you know, she's foulmouthed (as you can see) and rather aggressive (like my favorite mutant troll… ;) ) and oooohh! She's got beef with the Fairies! Remember, I apologize if anyone was seemingly OOC and I'm not uploading unless I get at least one review! So, THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	10. The Café

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Hiii. So, um… summer. Yeah… (IDFK) Okay, starting now, I'm going to be writing in the murderer's POV every now and then, and try to get closer to the climax of this thing! *applauds pathetically for myself* I apologize tremendously that this was as late as it was when there are all the reviews for more, and I'll try to work faster. Soooo… constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated, and let's get back on track. Also, thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and stuff! I really appreciate all of it, and so I am going to start addressing people who review before I upload another chapter. And this is the longest chapter yet (had a lot to get into this!)**

 **SakuraPetal91: First, thankyou. Freaky is what I'm going for. And second… You'll just have to keep reading ;)**

 **Guest: Glad it's grabbing your attention! And it's gonna be a little while before this is over! :D**

 **person: Um… I can't answer that in a completely solid manner, spoilers. O_O**

 **icallhax: I wouldn't know! Just keep a lookout for updates :)**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't own Fairy Tail (nor will I ever), but I do own Reo Mayushigue [why do I still write this?]**

 **!AND this chapter contains some graphic description, so I suggest you be careful when reading. :)!**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 10.) The Café

" _Well, this sucks. After only two nights of painting, this shit city is already having a canvas shortage,"_ her voice said as she kicked a can in the narrow space she was walking through.

The confined walkway was littered with garbage and smelled of smoke, causing her nose to burn. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth from the tainted smell and dragged her knife across the brick wall (in hopes to calm her down some).

" _Fucking Hell, how are there_ no _people out?"_ she yelled to the heavens. She walked to the opposite end of the small alley and exited onto the street. As she did so, most lights around her shut off (again).

The air brushed up against pale skin, giving her goosebumps all over. However, the small bumps went unnoticed when the dim lights of a small building across the road.

" _Oh? What have we here? Finally, some canvases I can use. And look! The store is open,"_ she chuckled to herself, as she crept toward the open window. In an instant, the lights went out, earning a few gasps of confusion and fear.

She stopped just outside the window, and peered in through the dark. A sinister smile curled onto her lips as she slipped inside.

' _Instead, I think I'm going to make myself some dinner. After all, this wretched place has some delightful appearing dishes, and you can't create on an empty stomach…'_ she thought darkly as she took out her second dagger.

OooooooooooooO

Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were all making their way back to the celestial-mage's home as her spirits' constellations were coming into view in the midnight sky.

"Gah, I'm so annoyed! She made us chase after her, after _she_ ran away from us, and now we have to walk all the way back here! She has _some_ nerve!" Lucy rages quietly. Her cheeks are slightly flushed after the three's sprint, and she's flailing her arms in the air.

"Yeah! Thanks to her, I have to wait longer until I can have a fish!" Happy complained, his face wearing an annoyed expression.

"Don't worry, Happy. We'll get you a fish soon enough, okay?" Natsu mumbled as he stared at the ground.

"Yaaaayyy! We need to hurry then!" the Exceed chirped in a happy tone. He flew off of his partner's head in excitement and swirled around in the cool air.

Without noticing, Happy began flying ahead of his friends. Natsu looked up and Lucy stopped her self-rambling to yell out to him to stop, but he didn't seem to notice.

Happy was about two magic-carriages away from his friends when the air suddenly felt colder. He stopped in the coolness and looked around. To his right, Magnolia's empty streets, darkened by lack of light. And to his left, a small building with open windows – by the sign and looks, a café.

Curious, he cocked his head and flew closer to see inside. When he reached the window, he looked in and widened his eyes in shock.

The inside was trashed; tables overturned, chairs flipped and broken. Shattered plates, dishes, and lights littered the dirty tile floors, which were specked with food and wet-looking dirt. Knives were stuck in different parts of the walls, and wall décor/pictures were torn or completely unsalvageable. Lastly, the door leading to the kitchen was swaying in an eerily rhythmic pattern, as if someone just exited it.

Happy then felt a tap of his shoulder and jumped. He turned to see Natsu and Lucy beside him once again with concerned looks.

"Happy, why did you fly off like that?" Lucy asked while taking quick breaths. When he didn't answer, she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's the matter?"

"What were you doing standing in front of this place?" Natsu questioned, turning to look in. As his eyes adjusted to the darker atmosphere, he blinked in surprise at the trashed building.

"What? What is it? What the- what happened in there?" the blonde asked while gripping her key ring.

As the question ran through his mind several times over, Natsu registered a weird sound in the silence. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was very offsetting. And though the sound was faint, he could tell it was definitely coming from inside.

"Um, do either of you hear that, too?" Natsu asked, walking toward the door. He placed his hand on the knob and turned it slowly, pushing the door open. _'It's unlocked?'_ he thought.

"No, I don't hear anyth- Natsu! What are you doing? You can't just enter like that! It's trespassing!" Lucy yelled while trying to grab his wrist [she failed].

"Yeah, Natsu. We should go… I don't like this," Happy said. But despite their protests, Natsu opened the café entrance and stepped inside, avoiding the debris on the ground. He looked around and tried to detect the sound.

Lucy and Happy looked at each other, and hesitantly followed their friend inside. When they stepped inside, the sound Natsu was probably talking about became more audible.

"N-Natsu, we're gonna get in t-trouble! Let's just go before…" Lucy trailed as she stepped around some debris.

"Just wait, okay? This isn't normal. I mean, look at this dirt on the floor," Natsu replied, crouching down to see it better.

"Yeah… it's weird, but what of it?"

"Wait, where could it have come from? There aren't any plants!" Happy realized, turning to face his partner.

"You're right! Natsu, this is bad. What if there were people here, and they got attacked?!" the celestial-mage said while turning, when a loud **BANG** caught all of their attention. They all turned to see the kitchen door swinging wildly, back and forth and back and forth.

The three just stood silently while staring at the thrashing exit, when a strong odor permeated the air and a sound like nails on a chalkboard **(a knife on tile, actually)** was being emitted. They clamped their hands over their ears and tried not to inhale the awful smell.

And as suddenly as the sound started, it ceased and was replaced by quiet giggling. _Female_ giggling.

"Hello, _fairies_! Welcome to this café! Although I must say, you are rather _late_ for your reservation. As you can tell, I have no more tables available!" she mocked, her voice slightly echoing off the walls. It sounded like she was behind the counter.

"Fairies?" Lucy asked.

"What do you mean, 'reservation'? And are _you_ the one responsible for all of this?" Natsu asked, standing up from his crouching position. He lit his hands ablaze and tried to see the girl (but his efforts were in vain).

" ***crazed laughter*** what do you mean? You don't rememb- Oh wait, wait, that's right. I made it _for_ you, because knowing you stupid fuckers, you wouldn't be able to complete such a task. And about _me_ … I don't know."

"What do you mean " **you don't know**?!"" Natsu yelled. He only got more laughter in response as the smell got thicker. The room carried the scent of one of the murder victims from previous nights.

"That doesn't matter at the moment. What _matters_ is that I have prepared for thee, a meal. I hope you like your dinner rare…"

When she finished speaking, a metal tray and lid were slammed onto the countertop. The edges of the lid had a diluted liquid dripping from the sides, and it carried a foul stench. The handle was covered in blood and salt as said crimson liquid was also smudged around the rim.

"W-what is t-that?" Happy asked, quickly flying towards Lucy.

"Eheeheehee… You'll just have to look and find out, _**unless**_ you'd like to leave and let me be…" she replied in a smug tone. Though she was definitely in the café, her voice seemed a little ways off.

"N-Natsu…" Lucy stuttered, eyes filled with fear as she turned to face him. When he looked back, he gave a small nod and slowly (and cautiously) approached the dish. The smell became unbearable by the time he reached it, and he had to cover his nose/mouth with his scarf.

With a hesitant hand, he reached out and grabbed the tray handle, trying to ignore the salt and blood coating his finger pads and palm. With a feeling of dread, he started lifting the lid.

And immediately wished he didn't.

When the lid was open enough for him to see what was underneath it, he threw the metal piece at the wall **(not intentionally, but as a shocked reflex)** and went wide-eyed at the sight. He could feel his facial muscles contorting in disgust and his nostrils were burning from the incredibly foul odor being emitted from the "meal."

On the platter, was what remained of a mutilated human head sitting atop some decorative pieces of lettuce. His forehead, the apples of his cheeks, and his jawline were sliced through and hanging slightly from their original positions, blood and muscle poking out from the more-than-precise cuts.

His mouth hung wide open and was still leaking blood and saliva while his sliced-in-half tongue protruded from the left side of his lips. Many of his teeth were undoubtedly ripped from his gums and forcefully embedded into his inner cheeks.

Tears and other bodily/eye fluids were dripping out of the corners of his eye sockets, while the eyes themselves were somewhat dissected and red, dangling on his cheeks. The optic nerves being their only attachment to the inside of his head, were mangled and looked as though they'd tear at any moment.

Blood and other unidentifiable liquids (and some tiny solids) dribbled out of his nose and ear holes, since the ears themselves were not attached to his cranium anymore. And above all of this, was a nametag that was pinned through the cartilage on the bridge of the man's nose, the name _Rufus_ written in bright blue ink.

"W… Wh… WHAT THE FUCK!?" he screamed, backing away from the unsightly presentation before him. His hand was holding his scarf up and were covering his mouth and nose, teeth pressed tightly against each other, to prevent himself from purging.

"What is it, Natsu?" Happy and Lucy asked frantically, considering Natsu didn't really swear like that **(not from what I've seen, at least A/N).** He just shook his head and continued moving away as her laughter erupted from somewhere in the darkness.

"AhahahahahaHAAHAAHAAA! What's the matter?! Is there too much lettuce? Not enough salt?!" she mocked, cackling in between her words.

Footsteps and giggling could be heard from all around the trio, making her exact location difficult to pinpoint.

"Y-you… YOU, are SERIOUSLY, FUCKED. UP!" the fire-mage barked at her, lighting his hand to throw a punch. Yelling that familiar phrase ***insert Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** , he threw the punch in the direction where he heard her last (toward the door). But he just ended up shattering the glass entrance.

Suddenly, everyone felt the room drop in temperature, but also rise at the same time; it felt extremely cold, and extremely hot simultaneously.

Then a somewhat bloodied silhouette could be seen in the doorway of the kitchen, a sinister white smile (lips lined in/dripping a crimson liquid) and a glossy black/red eye somehow illuminated in the (mostly) complete darkness. A shining object could be seen by what was supposedly her waist or thigh in an iron grip.

"Oh, _now_ it's getting interesting! Finally, one of the _fairies_ are acting up! Too bad those dumbasses from last night didn't put up a fucking fight! I might actually get to _play_ tonight!" she yelled, her cold lips never abandoning that stupid grin.

"What are you talking about?! You're sick!" Lucy yells while looking down, her hand inching quickly toward her keys. Her fingers coiled around the cold metal ring that held her familiar weapons/friends, quickly feeling around for Loke or Taurus's key.

While looking for her key, she raised her glance to Happy (who had been "floating" next to her) and motioned for him to leave.

However, her actions did **not** go unnoticed.

When Lucy finally managed to grab Taurus's key and Happy had begun to take off, the shadow in the doorway had disappeared. Panic quickly spread through her body as she looked around and found no sight of the looming figure.

"HEY! Where the HELL did you go?!" Natsu screamed, his face showing obvious anger **(by now, Happy is gone)**. He turned slowly and met his crush's gaze; she looked scared out of her mind. He softened his expression a bit, and meant to give her a reassuring look.

But what was supposed to comfort her didn't do so at all, considering the fire-mage looked as if a wave of shock and fear washed over his being.

As Lucy looked at him, confusion had replaced some of the alarm she had previously felt, since his terrified expression was new to her. And when she was about to ask what was wrong…

" _I would let that go, if I were you_ ," a cold voice whispered, followed by a warm brush of air that met the back of her neck and caused a chill to run up her spine. A horrible giggle then started echoing behind her.

The celestial-mage froze in place, and began to shake slightly in fear. The key fell from her grasp and hit the floor with a thud, the metal clinking around on the tile floor.

"Wh-when did… H-How did you-"

" _Shut_ _it_ , before I _make_ you. Okaaay?" she said while raising a dagger to Lucy's neck as she became entwined in a liquid-y red rope. Her captor clearly found this to be entertaining.

Lucy immediately stitched her mouth shut when the icy cold steel of her attacker's weapon was pressed against her neck. Tears began welling in her eyes as the lukewarm, liquid binds coiled around her body like an anaconda and prevented her from running or breathing easily.

"STOP!" Natsu yelled, his hands engulfed in flames and ready to punch her into the ground. He looked a bit frightened from the sight of Lucy in such a state, but mostly, he was pissed beyond all Hell. No one should be put in that position, especially Lucy.

She poked her head out from behind the celestial-mage's, and smirked. She licked her ghostly white lips **(that's as much of her face as he can see currently)** , and smiled wickedly.

"Ahahaha, or _what_? You gonna hit me with your fire? Well, newsflash: if ya' aim for me, you'll hit your bitch, then set this place ablaze. And if you do _that_ , then people won't believe what you tell them for days. They'll think 'It's your fault!' then lock you up, far away from the sun. And when that happens, I'll find your cell, **KILL** you, and dance around in your blood, singing, "Wasn't. That. Fun?"" she sang, her words echoing off the walls.

He froze for a moment, contemplating her words. His blood boiled under his skin, inner rage about to blow. Her stupid voice and annoying-as-fuck grin only made him want to punch her more. He was ready to beat her into tomorrow as a bloody pulp if that's what it took.

But then his mind drew back to Lucy. If he did attack, she would most likely be in his line of fire, metaphorically and literally, and she would get hurt. His eyes moved to hers, asking her silently for what he should do.

He didn't get a response though, and silently thought things over. His hands slowly lost the red and orange flowers that shined brightly in the dark, and once again allowed the shadows to consume him and the two females.

"Heehee, _that's_ a good boy. If you would have attacked, you would have ignited these here binds and lit her on fire. And _that_ wouldn't have been good, now would it?" she teased, her voice a little higher.

Lucy whimpered quietly as she shut her eyes tight, afraid of what would happen next. The wet binds that were slowly constricting her body made it impossible to move her legs in an attempt to escape. Never had she seen anything like them before.

"…What are you saying?" Natsu asked through gritted teeth.

"…Shit," she cursed, pulling the blade away from Lucy's throat a bit. She looked down, and began to contemplate her words, mumbled swears escaping her lips.

 **That** caught both of the mages' attention (know that Lucy's eyes opened after she cussed). What was she worried about after saying that? All she said was that if he had attacked, the binds would light on fire and burn Luc-

Hold on, they would light on fire… Then that meant fire could be a potential weakness! It clicked in both their minds, and their gazes met in realization.

Natsu (with this new determination) re-ignited his arms and smirked when the girl's grin faltered. Her pale hands immediately brought the small blade back to Lucy's neck.

"I _thought_ I made it _clear_ that you would burn her if you continue!" she exclaimed angrily, her tone slightly more threatening.

"Hmh, what's the matter? You don't like the fire, do you?" the fire-mage taunted. His smirk grew when a small gasp escaped her mouth and her grip tightened.

"Y- I will END her before your PITIFUL _FUCKING EYES_ , you MOTHERFUCKER!" she screamed, eyes now blazing in fury. Lucy gulped in anticipation, quietly running out of air.

Natsu was enjoying this turn of events. She bared her fangs after his comment and slowly moved the knife away from the celestial-mage's throat, much to both of their relief. He was about to ask to drop her and settle this for real,

when she took the blade, dug it into Lucy's right arm, and _dragged it_ up, all the way to her shoulder.

Said blonde began to wail in agony as the small dagger tore through the muscle and slightly grazed the bone, blood oozing and spurting quickly from the craggy slice. Droplets of crimson splat against her face and the floor with a sickening _plop, plop, plop_. The red binds had been cut in the process, causing Lucy to fall to the ground in pain, a small pool of red starting to form around her.

The fire-mage stared in bewildered horror as his beloved teammate screamed at the top of her lungs, suffering for his actions. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched her arm to chest in hopes to stop its bleeding.

"I _told_ you I'd kill her in front of you… I just never said how. Now she's going to bleed out and die right on this flo-," _she_ said/giggled, until a human fireball flung himself toward her.

The heat radiating off his body was nothing compared to the boiling rage coursing through his veins. His burning hands latched themselves onto her shoulders as he pushed himself and her through the remaining glass of the front entrance with dragon-like speed. What remained of the glass was broken off the door frames and propelled with the two.

When they landed, they were in the middle of the darkened street; quarter-moon hidden behind clouds, all street lacrima turned off, and building lights unavailable for the evening. The only light source was the orange and red that flickered and danced maliciously off of a very **ticked** dragon-slayer. Though the light was more than plenty for him, it wasn't enough to see his enemy's face or frame (though he could tell she was wearing shorts and a turtleneck).

Holes had found themselves on her shoulders, burns viciously painted onto the pale skin underneath. A few ends of her hair and spots on her shorts had been severely singed and were flaking off into the air.

"Now… ***pant*** _this_ is better… ***pant*** delivering on that… _Fairy Tail_ name ***pant*** , are we?" she teased, pulling out another dagger **(since the one she** _ **had**_ **was still inside).** Breathing heavily, she stood in a defensive stance and slit her left wrist, blood slithering out of the cut and forming a whip of some sort.

Natsu's lips curled into a snarl as his flames intensified and he charged for her. She barely moved out of the way of his attack and managed to drag the small blade across his cheek, just scratching the surface. Natsu whipped around and punched her in the gut, sending her into the front of a brick building.

As she slammed into the blocks, dust erupted all around her and the blade flew from her hand, landing in front of the dragon-slayer's feet. It began to melt from the heat radiating off his body as he stepped closer to her. When the dust cleared, she wasn't there **(which slightly confused Natsu)**.

He quickly turned and looked in all directions to try and spot her in the dark, but failed in doing so. He cursed to himself and quickly started walking around to find her. But as he turned around, something moist and tight wrapped around his less-flame-y body and stopped him from moving.

"Where do you think _**you're**_ going?" she asked, her voice cold as ever. The "rope" was tugged on and he was turned to face his opponent. She looked as angry as ever.

He growled in response while his fire began to flicker up again. As it started returning, it began to crawl up the binds which connected to her wrist and burn it. The stench was horrid, but it got rid of what prevented his breathing, so that was helpful.

He was soon released and standing tall again, ready to turn her to charcoal.

She pulled her hand back, the burning sensation inside her forearm and the dizziness from blood loss beginning to affect her mind. She bared her teeth and growled at him, much like a wild dog, and began to back away out of his line of sight.

"Oh, no you don't! Get back her, you little **bitch**!" he yelled, running after her. But she had eluded his sight, and disappeared once again. "God DAMMIT!"

" _Look…_ " her voice echoed around him. " _This was fun and all, but I have shit to do… so_ you'll _just have to be fucking patient, okay? And if you're curious, you can call me_ Rusty."

"…Rusty?" Natsu questioned. He was pissed off even more now, but he wouldn't press it further for more worthless damage.

" _Yeah Rusty, dumbass. Fuck, you stupid prick,_ _ **agh,**_ _that blow to the back is fucking painful. Oh well. Until we meet again, I guess."_ And with that, she and her voice vanished into the shadows, street lacrima and the café's lights turning on again.

Natsu calmed down a bit, only to start panicking when he remembered Lucy's condition. He sprinted back to the small building and stopped in front of the blonde sitting against the wall. When she heard steps approach, she looked up with a tear-stained face, hoping it was Natsu.

"My god, Lucy… I'm so sorry," he whispered, going to pick her up and carry her to the hospital, despite his exhaustion.

"It's not your, fault, Natsu," she replied, hissing in pain as her injury touched his vest. He picked her up bridal-style, and grimaced at the blood on the ground. "Let's just, get out of here." He nodded and walked ouside.

As he exited the building and started for the hospital, he could hear voices and running heading toward him.

"It's this way, guys! Oh, I hope we aren't too late!" someone yelled. Wait, that sounded like-

"Happy?" Natsu called out tiredly, walking toward the voices. As he looked farther in the darkness, he could indeed see Happy's shadow, as well as Mirajane and Erza. A wave of relief washed over him, and he slightly relaxed.

"He got help. Thank God… Natsu we're gonna be o- Natsu?" Lucy started, but stopped when she looked up and saw Natsu's drooping eyelids.

The three eventually reached him, seeing him in the middle of the street holding Lucy in his arms.

"Natsu, what happened?" Erza asked, concern adorning her features in the poorly lit dark.

"Murderer came… head in café… attacked Lucy….. fire burn'd… Rusty…" he muttered as the weight of his eyelids quickly got heavier. Why he felt this tired, was unknown to him.

"Natsu? Are you alright?" the celestial-mage questioned.

"What are you talking about? Are you- Oh my God! What happened to you, Lucy?! Guys, what **happened**!?" Mirajane screamed. Natsu didn't hear any of it though, as words were muddled, and the world slowly became fuzzy.

"Natsu? NATSU!?" Happy yelled.

Soon, he started falling backward, Lucy on top of him. With the feeling of sleep consuming him, he passed out on the ground, the sounds of his friends' frantic shouts in the distance.

OooooooooooooO

 **And that was Chapter 10.) The Café! Before you say anything, I'm sorry it's late! My brother had oral surgery and my Aunt came into town, so I haven't had all the savory time in the world (no matter how much I would like to). I freaked my friends and brother out with the whole decapitated head thing and how much description I wrote for that, so I hope it made some stomachs churn :). But I put a warning at the top of this one, so it's your fault for reading it if you didn't like it. Anyway, I took much longer than I should have, and I apologize. Now, the action part I'm proud of because I normally don't do that good *high fives self* on things like that!**

 **And I'd like to announce that Pineappleluvuh (a good friend of mine and an awesome author) and I are going to write a side-story Choose-Your-Adventure story for this one and her Fairy Tail fanfic. The account is called Pinellamon and I advise you read it (as well as her story) because it helps with the plot of this story! #shamelessselfadvertising!**

 **That being said, thank-you so so so much for sticking with me on this journey! I will see you all again hopefully! I need at least one review and I'll start post chapter eleven! THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	11. Natsu's Lucky Nightmare

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **OMGEEE! Chapter Eleven, YO! Aahh, milestones. Thank you very much to everyone who has stuck through with the reading and slow updates. This story is so much fun to write (for more reasons than you may think) and I appreciate the feedback and stuff you do! No worries, I'm not gonna be like some people who make a story then cuts it off in the middle or at some really interesting part. I'm planning on seeing this through to the end! And oohhh, we're getting close to some things that I really have been waiting to write about since I started this whole thing. I know that I sometimes slack and start new things when I'm currently am working on other things (I did/do it all the time at school), but that's just how I roll. AND ALSO…**

 **You don't know just how happy it makes me to see you guys review and follow the story and stuff. I got a ton of emails today about some people doing those things, and I literally screamed into my pillow with excitement. Thank you all so so so so so much for the support! Now that being said, constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated and I can't wait to screw around with some of you some more X3. BTW,**

 **SakuraPetal91: I was literally laughing because of your comment and trying to imagine how it'd sound in real life. You totally made my night. Also, don't panic anymore, he'll be fine. I don't do major character deaths… often :3**

 **namenotimportant(Guest): I would… but I wouldn't.**

 **yourlocalpsychic(Guest): You know, you just might have gotten that down… but then again, you might not have. I don't know, but you'll just have to continue reading.**

 **alonelybox(Guest): I promise I will see that all of my stories will be finished within time. Especially this one. It might be a fast, or slow, process… but they will be completed.** _ **I swears onnit**_ **.**

 ***Disclaimer: I don't own any of Fairy Tail, just miss Reo.**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 11.) Natsu's "Lucky" Nightmare

"God, Lucy! How did _this_ happen?" Mirajane questioned as she bandaged said blonde's arm in the infirmary. She had disinfected the wound and cleaned it up a bit while scurrying around to wrap it.

"The killer… she grabbed me from behind and dragged her knife up my arm. I would have run or used my keys, but she had the blade at my neck and I was trapped in these weird rope-things!" Lucy explained, looking at the white-haired mage perplexedly.

"…Rope-things?"

"Uh, yeah… They were really weird; they were wet and coiled around my body like a snake, slowly getting tighter as time passed. They looked rather flimsy, but she used them to attack Natsu, and captured him the same way before he lit them on fire. They looked kinda red, but I'm not too sure."

Mirajane silently pondered that newfound knowledge for a little bit, thinking it over carefully.

' _Huh… flimsy, wet binds that were red, easily caught fire, and were used for attacking purposes…'_ she thought, raising a finger to her lip. Turning toward a cabinet with painkillers, she asked, "How did she summon them?"

"Summon them?" Lucy repeated. As Mira nodded, the blonde tried to replay the evening's events in an act to remember seeing where they came from. After much thinking, she sighed and shook her head in defeat. "I'm not sure, she was behind me when they wrapped around me, and I didn't see her and Natsu's fight very well. You should ask him when he wakes up."

"Mmh. I'll do just that. Now, take this; it should help alleviate the pain some," Mira said, handing the celestial-mage a pill and cup of water.

Lucy mumbled a thanks and popped the pill in her mouth, sipping the water shortly after.

"Now, you should get some rest and lay down. It'll be a while before the sun's fully up. In the meantime, I'll tend to Natsu."

With a nod, Lucy laid down **(is that how it's supposed to sound/ be written?)** on her left side (back to Natsu) and sighed, closing her eyes slowly and trying not to focus on the past few days.

'I hope you're alright, Natsu,' she thought as her mind slipped into oblivion.

OooooooooooooO

 _Natsu stood in one of the streets of Magnolia, fog covering the ground and reaching just above his shins. It was dark, and he couldn't see/smell a thing. Curious as to where he was, he started looking around._

 _He suddenly whipped his head to see what was behind him, as he heard a weird sound. It was brief, but it was definitely there; it sounded wet, like a splatter._

 _He couldn't see past the fog, so he started walking in the opposite direction. After a minute or so doing so, a smell quickly filled the air and assaulted his nose. It was like iron, with hints of strawberries and vanilla._

 _Suddenly, the fire-mage stopped in his tracks, recognizing that smell from somewhere. Where from, he wasn't sure. But he was going to figure that out soon enough, as he continued down the path._

 _As the smell got stronger, the more familiar it seemed. It was really weird, and had enveloped his thoughts. He didn't realize he was being followed until a soft giggle started echoing from his left._

 _Turning to face it, Natsu saw nothing there; unless you count a dark alley as something. Slowly, he started walking into the alleyway and noticed many other familiar smells lingered inside it. Since there were so many, they overwhelmed his senses and he had to stop to catch his breath._

" _Aaawww… poor baby's getting light-headed?" a voice said, tone covered in mockery. Natsu immediately looked up to see a short silhouette a good distance in front of him. "I must say, you really_ are _pathetic."_

"… _Who are you?" he managed between breaths. Bringing a hand to his head, he strained his neck to try and look closer at her figure._

" _It's me, dumbass… Rusty," she spat, twirling something in her hand. He didn't get a clear enough look at it to know what it was, but it had something on it._

" _What do you want?" he asked, his tone full of venom. In an attempt to see her face, he outstretched his hand and lit it on fire._

"… _Have you not noticed that this alleyway here_ reeks _of some sort of smell? A familiar scent or two, perhaps?" she giggled. Natsu was slightly taken aback by her inquiry, wondering if_ she _could smell it too._

'Of course she can't! She's not a demon… I don't think. And she _sure as hell_ isn't a dragon-slayer,' _he thought, brows furrowed in thought as he stared at the ground in concentration. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to answer her, he opened his mouth and said,_

" _Actually, yeah I have. How would_ you _know that, though?" He only got quiet laughter in response, and that splattering-sound again, in her direction._

" _Is it not obvious yet? Or are you and all of your friends too fucking stupid to get it through your cement-covered skulls?" she retorted. "I am a Blood-Mage; I can manipulate the blood of_ anyone _, except for another blood-mage, you stupid fuck. I always use it on my victims – at least one fourth of the blood found at the god-damned "crime-scenes" is mine – you shit-brained mages and police are just too stupid to notice. I especially like using it to go inside of a future-victim's brain and mess with the flow to plague them with nightmares… like I'm doing to you."_

 _This claim left him surprised; not only had he never heard of such a mage – a blood mage – , but left him in a state of slight fear and anger. If what she says is true, she can make_ anyone _scared to go to sleep, and end up fucking them up really good!_

" _You're in my fucking head right now? What the fu- How dare you!" he yelled, throwing his flame her way. Unfortunately, she disappeared from the line of fire [literally], and the fireball was launched into the wall, illuminating the alley for a brief few seconds. In that short time, something_ red _on the ground caught his eye._

 _Walking toward it, he felt something wet and warm splash onto the sole of his sandal. He slightly panicked and jumped to try and get it off. As he tried to get it off, he slipped in it and fell onto the ground, underneath the thick mist._

 _When he realized what happened, he looked directly in front of his and saw someone looking back. He jolted up and backed away from her, hoping she wouldn't get up and follow._

 _All of a sudden, the fog cleared and revealed a girl's body laying on her side in an unnatural manner; her body was slumped in an awkward fashion and covered in red water. Her mouth hung wide open and was leaking the same liquid and her face was contorted into an expression of fear – like she was calling out to someone –, eyes wide with fear and clouded over like a corpse's. Her blue hair was strewn about, some parts drenched in the same red water. She wore a weird hat with a gold butterfly pinned to it, and her clothes were torn and tattered every which way. It was hard to tell who it was in the dark, so Natsu_ _ **(ignoring a sense of dread in his gut)**_ _reached out and ignited a small flame to see her clearly. When he managed to see her face, his twisted into an expression of shock and fear as he recognized her eyes._

" _J-Juvia?" he croaked out, fear coating his voice. Juvia's body lay right in front of him, in a puddle of her diluted blood. Her pale skin was covered in cuts and there was a knife visibly sticking out of her back, her arm outstretched, as if reaching out for something… or some_ one _._

 _Hesitantly, Natsu looked in the direction Juvia's hand was reaching out for, and let out a scream when he saw the head of his best friend/rival, Gray, resting on its side. His eyes had rolled up into his skull, and he was slack-jawed without a tongue, blood pooling/pouring from the opening._

 _Natsu felt like he was going to be sick as he realized the scents from earlier were those of his fallen comrades. Slowly, he remembered the first one – that of strawberries and vanilla – and instantly hoped that the worst hadn't happened. Looking around frantically, he couldn't seem to find her (and he couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing)._

" _Eheeheehee… looking for_ this _?" a shrill voice asked as a loud clang against metal and faint swaying was heard from behind the dragon-slayer. Flinching at the sound, he felt his heart tug when the scent from before had filled the confined space once more._

 _Nervous, he let out a shaky breath, and slowly turned around. Then he froze when he found himself face-to-face with her._

 _Her eyes were no more, as the now gouged holes in her skull leaked red. Her usually golden pony-tails were now a dull yellow and loosely scattered about her face. Her lips was slightly parted as blood dripped out of the corners. Her once perfect skin was now stripped from her body, revealing all of the bone and muscle that lay underneath (all but her face… that is) and her clothes had been ripped viciously from her form, small strips sticking to her. She was bound by her wrists and had been suspended from a metal catwalk-like thing, the red wraps around them holding her just above the ground. The longer he stared, the more the image burned itself into his head, and the more tears had started to spill onto his cheeks._

" _L-L…L-Luce…" he whispered, before falling to his knees out of shock. When he realized it "really happened," he went from shocked to angry, scared, and sad… all at once._

"L-L-LLLUUUUUCC **CYYYYYYYYYYY**!" _he screamed as a wretched laughter erupted from behind him, words echoing on the stone walls._

" _She and your friends are gonna end up like this, if you shits keep fucking around with my paintings. So… stop your god-damned raining on my parade, and I'll leave you all alone...most of you. Fucking,_ got it _?"_

OooooooooooooO

Natsu bolted upright from his position on the infirmary bed, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He blinked a few times while trying to steady his breathing as he attempted to get a grip on what had happened.

The first thought that came to mind was finding Lucy and making sure she was okay. He quickly threw the blanket he was under off of him and jumped off his bed, looking around the room. When he finally spotted Lucy's bed, he ran over to her and looked her up and down. When he saw that only her arm was bandaged up, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to find Juvia and Gray.

As he looked around the room, he saw the two sleeping in the corner of the room, the steady rise and fall their chests easing Natsu's anxiety.

He violently jumped when a hand suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. Lighting his fists ablaze, he turned around in an act of being ready to fight, and was shocked when he only saw Mirajane with a bottle of antibiotics.

"N-Natsu? Um… w-what are you doing?" she asked, clearly startled by his actions. Upon hearing her voice, he let the flames dissipate and slightly relaxed his tense body, sinking onto the floor in a tired manner.

"N-nothing, Mira. Just… just trying to calm down," he said, head in his hands. He looked kind of defeated, and this wasn't something the transformer-mage liked at all.

"I'm going to assume you had a nightmare about someone you care for getting hurt." He nodded. "Hmm, well are they okay right now?" Another nod. "Then you don't need to worry, right?"

"…Mira, I appreciate your help, but I am _never_ going to get the image of Lucy's body in that manner. It was so… _fucking_ … disturbing," he muttered, looking up at her with exhausted eyes.

She stayed silent for a while after that, and nodded. Turning to get a cup of water, she motioned for him to take a pill from the bottle she had in her hand. He did so and heaved a heavy sigh after.

"Hey, Mira?" he called out. Turning to him, she smiled and asked what was up. "Can I talk to you about something?" he asked, a serious look adorning his features.

"Sure, anything," she replied, walking over to him and pulling up a couple chairs for them. After the got settled, she smiled an ask-away! smile to him and waited for him to talk. A couple seconds passed before he finally decided to ask her what had been on his mind since he woke up.

"…Do, do you know what a blood-mage is?" he inquired, looking straight into her eyes. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise at his question, before she answered him.

"Yeah. Do you know?" she asked back.

"I have an idea, but maybe you should explain it to me just in case."

"Alright. A blood-mage is a magic user who is born with the ability to manipulate and control their own or another person's blood and/or body. They use this magic to bend and move their blood at will when attacking an opponent during battle. If not careful, the magic can get out of hand and kill the user. Why do you ask?"

"Because the murderer showed up in my dream, and told me she was a blood-mage… and that she was the one making me have the nightmare because she changed the flow of blood in my head or something." Mira looked at him in shock after his sudden confession.

"So you think the murderer is a blood-mage?" she asked, an eye-brow quirked. She didn't think it was impossible after what Lucy told her...

"Yeah. What; do you not believe me? O-or, think I'm looney or something?" he fired back.

"What? Of course not! Especially after what Lucy told me about what she saw, I think you may be on to something, Natsu. After you passed out, we went to the authorities and told them about the incident, Lucy as a witness. When we finally left and came to the guild, I fixed her arm and we talked a bit about what happened. I think we should tell Erza and Master, then have Levy and a few others do some research about it – what do you think?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Can you go do that? I'll come out in a bit…" he trailed off, looking at Lucy's sleeping form.

With a nod, she exited the room and thanked Natsu for telling her. Once she was gone, the fire-mage moved his chair next to Lucy's bed and reached out to hold her left hand in his. Closing his eyes, he tried to restrain his tears from falling, considering he knew she was fine.

"Oh, Luce… I'm so sorry. I wish I hadn't taunted that little bitch like that, because then you probably wouldn't have been hurt like this. ***sigh*** Dammit, I swear to you that I will get revenge for what she did to you, and Gray, and Juvia, and all of those people she has… killed," he whispered, his tone laced in angry determination.

OooooooooooooO

"Erza! Master! I have a development involving the murderer!" Mirajane called out, trotting into the main hall.

"Hm? What would that be, Mira?" Master asked, directing his attention to the transformer-mage.

"Natsu and I had a chat about what happened during his fight, and we came to the conclusion that the killer might be a blood-mage," she said confidently.

"A blood-mage? That doesn't seem very likely, since no one has seen one for decades," Erza pointed out.

"Not true. Macao told me that while we had been on Tenrou Island for those seven years, that Fairy Tail and the council had been recruited to hunt down a young blood-mage who had killed their family in a one-by-one manner," the small-man said.

"Really?" both girls asked, shocked at the knowledge.

"Yes. You can ask Macao about it tomorrow if you wish. Good work, Mira. I'll be sure to let Levy know and see if she has any information on the topic. Are Natsu and Lucy taken care of?"

"Hai. Although I have some concerns about how secure the guild is, because Natsu said he had a nightmare about the murderer… Rusty, he said she called herself… saying that she was a blood-mage and had manipulated his blood flow to give him a horrible night terror," Mira said, concern lacing her voice.

"Hmm, very well. I think we'll be alright, but thank-you for you imput, Mira. Now you two should get some sleep. I'll have Natsu come talk to me and help keep watch for the rest of the night." With that, the three exchanged "goodnights" and went to their respective positions, Natsu coming out and keeping watch.

All the while, was a figure watching their every move from the comfort of darkness. Her grin widened as she saw the look of resentment on the dragon-slayer's face.

' _Aw, look; he's mad. How fucking cute. I wonder who you think I_ really _am, dragon-slayer. You probably have no idea, only ever seeing my white grin, possibly my pale skin or crimson eyes and hair. Personally, I believe my natural amber color suits them better… but that's only when I'm_ not _like this… and I wouldn't want to ruin the fun of this mystery. I await our next meeting, you Fairy scum,'_ she thought giddily, turning to leave the area and treat her wounds.

OooooooooooooO

 **And that concludes Chapter 11.) Natsu's "Lucky" Nightmare! I'm sorry I took so long to update this – I've just become kinda lazy, and you know** _ **my**_ **lack of an attention span pretty well by now, I'd hope. So, know that when you review, it'll take a little bit to get the next chapter up. Okay? I apologize about that, but that's just the way it's going to be! :/ I hope you liked the chapter anyways, and I'm sorry it's a little shorter than normal. Didn't really have much else to say after that whole dream thing. Also I'm sorry if anyone seemed OOC in any way... but I won't be changing that. :) That being said, thankyou so much for reading this, and I will hope to see you again for the next chapters, or another one of my stories! THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	12. Confrontations and Confessions

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Hey guys, so sorry about being late like this [again…heh heh, by over a month]. Now, I'm not even going to give you any excuses, because I was just being lazy for half of the time. Sorry. Know that constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated, and here are the acknowledgements I must make:**

 **SakuraPetal91: Heehee, I'm glad I could give someone an unintentional reference for something. I am personally a big fan of ATLA, but that isn't where I got the idea from. In all honesty, I got it from watching the anime series "Another" and then watching Fairy Tail's Grand Magic Games arc right afterward. Literally made my head blow up, not really. And do not fret, Rusty shouldn't be able to control your dreams… she shouldn't, at least. *-***

 **NOT a guest(Guest): First off sir [or ma'am], your name is fooling no one!** (Actually, my brother thought you weren't a guest because he's not smart) **. And second, intensenessosity is of course a word! I'm glad you like this story, and I hope you continue to read it until the end! :3**

 **icallhax(Guest): Hey bro, don't worry bout it, alright? Rusty most likely won't be able to control or manipulate your dreams, and I am happy that you find this to have the** _ **major spooks**_ **. And well… I guess you could say that, but she can't really** _ **kill**_ **you in your dreams, just make you believe that others died until you reach your breaking point (she can't kill anyone unless they're in front of her and she uses her bare hands/magic/knives)… good analysis though. ;3**

 **tacosofamerica(Guest): Unfortunately, I do not have an updating/uploading schedule or pattern for the new coming chapters that I post. I tend to begin writing the next chapter when I receive more reviews. It's easier for me to do it that way because then I feel more motivated to get the chapter up. So, I'm sorry if that disappoints you any. And me waiting over 2 freaking months to post this is NOT cool, so please forgive me. 3:**

 **firefox07(Guest): I am sorry it's been a while, and I hope you're happy to know I'm not dead. :3**

 ***Disclaimer - I don't own Fairy Tail, only Reo and the few random OC's that I had appear for not even two chapters**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 12.) Confrontations and Confessions

The sun began its usual rising procedure as the town of Magnolia slowly followed suit. But the morning was far less peaceful and much more lively than the evening _had_ been; ever since Fairy Tail's accident and multiple failures to stop the murderer, they had been losing faith in the guild and have succumbed to hiding in their homes before dark, losing hope in the once "Strongest guild in Fiore."

And as such, the mages have become quite restless in their attempts to stop Rusty. Every day and night, groups of mages would go about to try and bring her to justice, with no success of finding out more on her identity, what she looks like, or catching her in general. Every night, more of the mages would be injured in vain, and another innocent Magnolian citizen would be lost to the hands of the evil blood mage.

During the night, however, multiple mages would be tormented with nightmares of their most treasured guildmates (basically the ones they love **[I ship]** ) and be left in a somewhat nervous-wreck kind of state; especially Natsu.

Sure, many of the members had experienced a nightmare during the night, but Natsu was constantly plagued with them, and would not go back to sleep and would stay awake until sleep finally captured him and he awoke from another nightmare. It seemed like Rusty focused mainly on tormenting Natsu, especially when he tried hunting her down in his dreams.

She had found it most entertaining to see Natsu's emotion-filled face whenever he dreamt and snapped awake, tears forming yet never falling from his eyes. Soon, the fear and vulnerability would morph into anger and a larger need to beat her face into the ground. Quite amusing, if you asked her, then she would be off to find another victim or torment another mage.

Anyways, Natsu was looking out the window for the 10th or 11th night **(he couldn't keep track anymore… for all he knows it could be the 27** **th** **night),** eyes heavy from staying up once more. The paranoid dragon-slayer had large dark circles and bags underneath his eyes from his constant lack of sleep, unconsciousness beckoning for him to join it as the sun illuminated his tired features.

But he wouldn't let himself slip away, not when he was in charge of making sure no one would get inside, not when he was to make sure Lucy, and Erza, and Mirajane and Master **(I know, a lot of and's A/N)**. _'No,'_ he thought, _'I won't let that little bitch get to anyone I care about.'_

After Lucy finally woke up, her arm had been healed enough to go on a mission (much to everyone's surprise). She, Natsu, Wendy, Reo, and a few others went on a mission to get some money for various needs. They completed within a few days and returned to find many of their comrades with some sort of injury – even Gajeel was sporting some gauze snuggly wrapped around his head and a broken finger.

It made Natsu's blood boil, knowing that he couldn't do anything to help while that crazy girl was still out there and she had caused all of this misfortune to rise. So when the time came, he'd go around the town throughout the whole evening in attempts to find her by smelling the scent of blood or listening for her hideous cackle.

Almost every night in doing so, he'd find her fleeing the scene with incredible speed, laughing and telling him to not wait up, and/or see her latest victim in a horrible, bloodied mess.

Natsu found himself trying not to let his head bob as he looked outside the windows for any sign of her. As per usual, he smelled/saw/heard nothing, and sat there idly until he unintentionally fell asleep. But he'd dream of something unpleasant every time, and wake up in a cold sweat as he fell off of the table he'd planted himself on.

Doing said action, he felt alerted-ness swarm his being and he bolted up onto his feet, rubbing his exhausted eyes in the process.

"God… damn, ugh," he grumbed. He looked around the room for the sound he heard and spotted Mira exiting the infirmary, a smile plastered on her face.

She walked behind the bar and started rummaging around for something, when she felt a pair of eyes on her. With a raised brow, she looked up and saw Natsu looking directly at her.

"Oh! Goodmorning, Natsu," she called out, waving toward him despite the short distance. He grunted in response and slid off of the table to walk over to the bar.

Her smile slowly fell as she took in his appearance, since it wasn't one she was accustomed to and enjoyed seeing. It made her upset to see him like this; such a carefree and happy person so tired, serious and, and…

Gloomy.

Despite how she felt, she tried her best to ignore it and continue on in the morning as usual **(well, as usual as it can get)**.

"So… did you see anything last night?" she asked gently while filling a glass with water. When she saw him shake his head and slide it into his palms, her lips formed an uncharacteristic frown. "Well, did you get any sleep? You seem exhausted Natsu; maybe you can rest up in the infirma-?"

"Stop," he cut her off, causing the white-haired mage to cease making noise. He looked back up at her tiredly and brought a hand up to rub his eyes. "I appreciate the concern and suggestions, but I'm fine. We just need to get _her_."

"Look, Natsu. I know you want to catch that murderer; we all do. But how can you expect us to do that if we don't have a single lead as to where she might be? The authorities haven't fared much better than us, and the council is in a blind panic because of her." She stared into his eyes with a firm tone and neutral facial expression. "We'll get her soon enough, but that means you have to go home tonight and go to bed – you need your rest. Understand?"

He looked at her with an exhausted expression and rolled his eyes.

"Mira, I'm _fine_. I have been ever since this entire incident started, and I will continue to be. I've just been that little bitch's main source of entertainment," he spoke, lying straight through his teeth.

Mirajane just looked at him, pity and concern swirling through her head. Ever since he had that nightmare of Lucy dying (the first time), he's been more alert and protective of everyone around him, _especially_ Lucy (despite her staying in the apartment to rest). He watches her as she sleeps (even though she left to stay at her house when they came back from the mission), watches over the guild every night, and goes out every chance he gets to try and hunt down Rusty – she can't even remember the last time she saw him sleep without forcing himself to stay awake!

And knowing him, the feeling of not being able to help or do anything will make him restless, as it was doing now. This type of situation also made him seemingly more intelligent, focused, and serious than normal – which was unsettling, to say the least. She bit her lip as she stared at his form for the billionth time – black rimmed (like a raccoon's almost) and bloodshot eyes, slouched yet rigid shoulders, dull and messy (more than usual) hair, clenched jaw, creased face, chewed nails; everything about him at the moment screamed 'exhausted and in need of repair.'

"Natsu, you look horrible," she said bluntly.

"I'm aware. Everyone keeps telling me that. I know I'm not in perfect condition, especially since people keep reminding me every chance they get."

"Then listen! You need to at least _try_ to sleep. I mean, it's not like she's ever out during the day anyway! I bet when Lucy walks in, she's gonna tell you the exact same thing and maybe even drag you out of the guild hall!" the transformer-mage snapped.

He looked up at her, a look saying "Does it look like I care?" written on his face. He and she had a small stare-down before he broke away and looked down at his feet. As she turned to finish filling her glass, Natsu mumbled something she didn't quite catch thanks to the running water.

"Sorry, what was that?" she asked, setting the cup aside once more.

"I can't help but feel as though we're missing something… something blatantly obvious, from this entire thing," he said louder, hand on his chin in a thoughtful position.

"Really? How so?"

"I don't know, I just… I just think that there's something that we missed, but it's right in front of our eyes and we just don't see it. I don't know, but maybe this has something to do with Reo…" he admitted.

"Oh, not this again," she said, rolling her eyes. Ever since this fiasco began, Natsu's had his suspicions about Reo; everyone has. But he would not let go of the fact that's she's hiding something, despite her friendly and kind nature – and the fact that she was young didn't interfere with his thoughts.

"I'm telling you, she's got something to do with this!"

"Natsu, for the hundredth time, listen to yourself! Reo Mayushigue is an eight year old girl who came to the guild for a request! When we all saw her capabilities, we offered her a position in Fairy Tail and she is now a part of this family! She's my naka- _our_ nakama, and everyone has stuff they like to keep to themselves! I know you do, and so does Lucy and Gray and Erza and _everyone_! She's strong, I know, but do you honestly think anyone of her stature could really cause _this_ much chaos?!" Mira yelled. "Honestly Natsu, this is getting ridiculous! You don't see me or anyone else accusing Reo, or anyone for that matter, about this!"

Natsu looked slightly surprised and afraid by the tone that she had used, since she rarely used it. But despite what she said, his mind hadn't changed – he knew Reo was a part of this, and he was set on finding out what exactly that part was.

With a scoff, he slid off the barstool and wandered toward the bathroom to empty his system.

OooooooooooooO

Lucy found herself awakening to the sound of tapping on the glass of her window. Slowly stretching out of her position on her bed, she rubbed her eyes and scooted toward the window. Why was she not surprised when she saw Happy hovering outside?

"Lucy, open up!" he yelled, voice muffled by the glass as he continued tapping it. With a groan, she opened the latch and let him in.

"How many times have I told you two to use the door? And what makes you think you can wake me up in the middle of my dreami-? Hey wait… where's Natsu?" she asked, sitting up now as Happy planted himself on the bed.

"That's what I wanted to talk about… Can I ask you about something?"

"Um... sure. But if you're gonna crack a joke, I don't wanna hear it."

"No, nothing like that! But since you mentioned Natsu, you should know he's been really out of it lately, and he never eats any fish with me. He's always in the guild and doesn't leave unless it's to chase after that girl," the Exceed confessed, eyes staring at the ground.

This was new news to the blonde – since she'd spent so much time at home in hopes of recovering from her incident. She stared at Happy with a concerned look and moved closer toward him.

"What do you mean by acting different – any specific manners?" she asked.

"He… he doesn't talk like normal. Like, he uses bigger words and is also serious all the time, and never really talks about anything but the murderer and how he could stop her. He's also super protective of everyone – more than usual – and watches for her every night. He doesn't sleep, eats only a little bit, and constantly interrogates Reo… well, he tries to at least."

"…" Lucy was at a loss of words. Was what he said really true? "… What do you mean by 'interrogate'?" she asked.

"He always tries to ask Reo about what she's seen and what her magic is and how, um… coinsidinell(coincidental) it was that she arrived right when this started happening. But he either doesn't get a response and she walks off, or someone intervenes. Most of the time it's Erza or Wendy, but Elfman's had to do it sometimes, as well as Mira and Gajeel. She also really hates him because of what he did to her when you got your arm hurt, and all their arguments."

She only stared at him, confusion flooding the gates of her mind. She didn't realize that that incident caused something so serious to happen.

"Happy, I think I should go see him," she said, getting off the bed and walking toward the dresser. Happy immediately brought his head up and started walking toward her.

"I wouldn't recommend that, Lucy. He's been blaming himself for you getting hurt – despite everyone trying to convince him otherwise – and he's been having nightmares about, well… you."

"Me? What are they about?" When she didn't get a response, she tried asking again. "Happy, what are they about?" Again, no response. Slightly annoyed, she turned to see him looking at her with the most pitiful look she'd seen on his face. "…Happy?"

"He… he dreams about, you dying. You get killed by Rusty in a different way every time he falls asleep, or so he says. The first time, you were, um… held by your hands in an alley and skinned alive," he said, his voice wavering.

Lucy's eyes widened at his confession. _'I was, s-skinned alive? My God, what would make him dream about that?'_ she thought.

"That's not all…" Happy mumbled, catching the celestial-mage's attention once more. "You've also had your… head and limbs cut off, your tongue and eyes mutilated and so many other things he refused to tell me. Every dream almost reduced him to tears, so they've been pretty bad.

"He told me that Rusty was a blood-mage and that she can make people dream of bad things until they reach their breaking points. I don't know what I can do to help, Lucy; he's so paranoid and kinda scary, it makes me so sad!" he exclaimed, putting his paws in his hands and beginning to sob.

Lucy felt her own eyes welling at the sight as she scooted closer to his crying form. Slowly, she picked him up and held him against her chest in a comforting way.

"Don't worry Happy, I'm sure he's just stressed out. We'll just have to catch that girl and everything will probably go back to normal. In the meantime, we'll have to talk to him and assure him I'm alright. Got it?" she asked softly. When she felt him nod, she smiled and let him go. "Now, let me get dressed and we'll go to the guild to talk, alright?"

With a sniffle, he nodded and let a small smile grace his furry face. Seeing that as her cue, the blonde stood, grabbed some clothes, and started to get ready for the day.

' _I hope this whole thing will just end soon and everything will go back to normal. But, why do Reo and Natsu hate eachother?'_ she thought to herself as she looked into the mirror.

OooooooooooooO

 **And that was Chapter 12.) Confrontations and Confessions. I'm sorry this took so long, and I'm sorry it's short and not that good. That's why I've decided to post two more chapters right after this one goes up and actually reach the climax of this! Sorry this was kind of a crummy filler, but the next two will be up right away! Also, I apologize if anyone seemed OOC, but that's how they needed to be for this. And before you ask – yes, Natsu is meant to be more smart-seeming and focused. That's how I've been slowly making him as the story progressed. So, I appreciate you waiting to read this and sticking around and I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	13. Delving Deeper

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **As promised, I have the thirteenth chapter up. Now, this one is just gonna be some filler (I think that's what it's called, right?) and we get to see what's going on with some other people (specifically Wendy and Reo, and then Levy and some other members). I'm sorry these two chapters haven't been that good and may seem rushed, but chappie 14 is going to be really good [I've been waiting to write that chapter since I started this!] so it might be worth it. Anyways, constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated and I take them to heart. 3 And here are the acknowledgements I must make:**

 **icallhax: Welcome! I hope you write some good stories, or share some if you don't write! And oh my goodness you didn't have to do all of that – your comments and continuation for reading this are all I need to keep this going! Thankyou so much! X3 ;3**

 **waiting: Yes, I am still writing the story! I apologize about the inconvenience to you and everyone else! I'm gonna see this bad boy out to the end!**

 ***Disclaimer - I don't own Fairy Tail, nor will I ever**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 13.) Delving Deeper

As the cool morning air began to waver amongst the city, a young blunette slowly inched her way out of bed with a long and contented yawn.

Wendy stood up and stretched her arms above her. Last night's sleep was peaceful and normal once again, filled with dreams of talking with Reo and Romeo on a cloud in a world full of sweets with dragons and Exceeds flying around in harmony and rainbows everywhere…

Okay, so maybe it wasn't _normal_ per-se, but it was far better than her nightmare from a few nights ago. Hell,  anything was better than that "dream."

 _ **~Replay of nightmare commence~**_

 _She heard it; something quiet and faint, like she shouldn't have been able to hear it in the first place. Then it happened again. And again. And again until it developed a soft rhythm._

 _As the sound continued, it became more and more distinct, but was still unintelligible. It was almost like a dripping noise, the continuous 'plop plop plop' echoing throughout the room. Slowly pushing off the door, she stood up straight and turned around with as much confidence as she could muster in the moment._

 _But whatever fraction of confidence she held was instantly drained out of her._

 _Wendy's eyes widened to the sizes of grapefruits with dilated pupils_ _ **(despite it being dark as hell)**_ _while her mouth hung open in a silent scream. She brought her hands up to her face in an attempt to cover her mouth – an attempt that she failed to accomplish._

 _Before her was all of her friends and family battered, bruised, bloodied, barely breathing as they silently clung to their tiny slivers of life. Natsu lay on a table, a spike-y something impaling his back and chest. Blood dribbled out of his nose and the corners of his mouth as his eyes stared like saucers at the ceiling, bruises and gashes littering his body. Lucy fared no better, as she was suspended to the wall with knives, scissors – anything sharp, really – piercing through her wrists, feet, and torso. Her head lolled to the side with smeared blood staining her cheek and jawline. She stared blankly at where the fire-dragon slayer was slowly dying._

 _Erza was sprawled out on the ground with missing pieces of armor strewn about in a pool of her own blood. The crimson liquid was dyeing her already scarlet hair a darker shade as she held onto her sword tightly, anger and betrayal gracing her reddened face as she blankly stared at Reo's disheveled corpse. Said body was sliced up all over and was missing fingers as it hung freely by the left foot, exposing her small and blood-stained bloomers. White hair was dyed red and a look of fear and panic was forever etched onto her normally smiley or stoic face. Blood coated her dress and abdomen while it leaked from out of her forehead – hence the dripping sound._

 _Gray and Juvia were propped up against the wall, hand-in-hand while their wrists were pinned painfully against the wall. Gray's neck and stomach each had large holes in them, blood gushing from the wounds quickly as he gurgled on it while trying his hardest to breathe. And Juvia had a rope caught at her neck, slowly and magically constricting itself as it suffocated the rain woman further and further, despite her attempts to stop it._

 _Anyone else had met a just-as-awful fate, as the scent in the guild hall infiltrated the dragon-slayer's sensitive nose, enough to make her_ _ **(or anyone for that matter)**_ _retch._

 _Wendy fell to the ground in fear as she stared ahead at the carnage before her, water beginning to sting her eyes and drip down her cheeks. She then felt something wet hit her knees and soak through her skirt, and a loud thump hit the floor next to her_ _ **(causing her to jump)**_ _._

 _Looking to her right, she saw the heads of Gajeel, Happy, Lily, and Carla rolling toward her, eyes wide open and filled with fear – well, Gajeel's also showed their normal pissed-off glint – and a scream pierced the air._

 _Tears flowed out of Wendy's eyes like a river as she shook and shrieked at the sight. The sense of hopelessness filled her being as she slowly folded over and slammed her fists into the ground in fury._

 _Suddenly, a horrible cackle erupted from behind the bar counter. Quickly looking up, Wendy saw a short figure clad in a bloody white dress with dark red hair and daggers in her hands. She wore a wicked and twisted grin as her red eyes stared down at her. Her face was unintelligible through the darkness, yet her mouth and eyes seemed to emit a dark light that cut through the blackness._

" _Well well well! It's about time you showed up! I've been waiting to see your face for ages!" she laughed psychotically while hopping off the counter. "Eheheheeh! I just couldn't wait to kill you too! How I'm going to off you is beyond me… but it's always more fun when you don't have a plan and just go for it. Tell your friends I said 'Go to Hell' for me!" and with that, she raised her knives._

 _ **~End Replay of nightmare~**_

It still haunted her at times, but she never experienced a nightmare after that night. Even those silly ones where you're being chased by something in a forest or you're endlessly falling and awaken before you splat onto the ground. Despite it being weird to her and everyone else, she was very grateful for it.

Anyways, the dragon-slayer tiredly walked toward the bathroom while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Flicking on the light, she looked at her reflection for a brief second before reaching to turn on the sink.

As the water began to run, she grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste, ran it under the water and started brushing. While cleaning her teeth, she reaches for her hairbrush and simultaneously began running it through her long blue locks.

After spending about 13 minutes doing morning-routine-y stuff, she exited the bathroom and moved in the direction of her dresser. Upon reaching it, she slid open the first drawer and rummaged around for an undershirt – white would be preferred. Finally finding one, she closed the drawer and opened the next one for some leggings, then the third for a skirt. Once finding the specific articles, she went to the closet and searched for a short sleeved blouse. Satisfied with the clothes, she slid out of her pajamas and put on the outfit.

Once dressed, she walked over toward the kitchen to prepare some cereal. As she absentmindedly poured the milk into a bowl, her thoughts wandered over to her friends.

"Hm, I wonder what we're going to do today. I know Carla is hanging out with Happy, so maybe I should consult Reo or Romeo," she said, remembering her friend/guardian had left with the Exceed earlier last evening.

When finishing preparing breakfast, she put away the milk and cereal box and moved to sit at the counter. Grabbing a spoon, she took a bite and savored the sweet flavor of milk and banana-honey flavored flakes.

As she went for the third spoonful, a knock interrupted the peaceful silence of her apartment. The knocking had been accompanied with a soft-spoken yet loud voice, one she had come to recognize over the past couple of weeks.

"It's open, Reo! Come on in!" Wendy yelled in the somewhat direction of the front door. She heard the knob click and watched around the corner as the small white-haired girl entered the room.

"Good morning, Reo," she said cheerfully as she took another bite of cereal.

"Good morning, Wendy. How are you?" she asked, walking toward the counter where said girl sat. Wendy shrugged her shoulders as she looked at her bouncy pink curls.

"It's been okay, peaceful to say the least. I didn't have a nightmare last night, so that's a plus. How about you? Was everything okay at your apartment?"

"Yes. Everything has been fairly adequate for myself. I wish I could say the same for our guildmates though," she responded sullenly. The dragon-slayer noticed her gaze focus to the ground and watched as she silently twiddled her thumbs.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll get this problem sorted out soon. It normally takes the authorities way longer than we've been to figure something out like this. I mean, we just have to find and capture her – we already have her name, appearance, and weapon of choice; as horrible as that sounds. But we can do this, we're Fairy Tail after all! We just need to keep working toward finding her!" Wendy said enthusiastically.

Reo looked up from the floor with gleams of hope sparkling in her bicolored eyes. A smile then made its way onto both of their faces and giggles pursued.

"Heh, you're right. I guess that I shouldn't be so pessimistic, huh?" she asked while bringing a hand to the back of her neck.

"Right. Well, I'm just about finished with my cereal. Are you hungry?"

"No thank you, I had a bagel on the way here. I appreciate the offer though. You should grab a coat or something, it's kind of chilly outside." Wendy nodded and walked her bowl over to the sink to rinse and deposit in the dishwasher, a habit Carla had enforced on her before. Once she completed her task, she led Reo toward the front door with some shoes and headed out.

 **(Before you say** _ **anything**_ **about how I might be explaining Wendy's room in a weird or incorrect manner, know I have** **no idea** **what it looks like, or if it's even been shown. Bear with me please.)**

OooooooooooooO

The two settled on walking to the guild to have Wendy check on Gray and Juvia's conditions. Said young teen has had to have some of the guild convince her that it _wasn't_ her fault that the two mages were still unconscious, despite having been attacked over a week ago. Despite their reassuring words, only those of Makarov and even Natsu managed to calm her down some. Hmm…

' _Natsu-san,'_ she thought, her face slightly falling. _'He's done so much to try and figure out this whole_ 'Rusty' _situation, I hope he's doing alright. He hasn't gotten that much sleep, I think.'_ Her thoughts shifted to an image of the pinket- salmonette, from when she saw him last **[which was a day or so ago]**. His face looked so weary and exhausted that not even her healing magic could've helped, and he wore a tired scowl. True, he tried to accuse Reo on multiple occasions and snapped or glared at most people who tried to call him crazy or convince him otherwise, but surely he was only stressed out and paranoid, right? He was still the same, right?

She shook the thought away and looked toward the sky. Everyone had their bad days, or weeks. Or months… well, basically everyone has a midlife crisis. Some earlier than others, but they still experience one at some point. Maybe this was Natsu's, despite him being… 17? Whatever his age **(she doesn't know what it is),** he was surely struggling about the whole dilemma, and he just needs to sort it ou-

"Wendy? Where are you going? The guild's that way," a voice asked, cutting through Wendy's thoughts. The blunette suddenly remembered where she was, and concluded that whatever that was had dragged her into the world of her mind.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Reo. I guess I got caught up in my thoughts," she replied with a nervous chuckle. She hurried to meet with Reo again, and noticed that she looked glum. "Hm? Reo, what's the matter?" she asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Said girl jumped slightly from the sudden contact and turned to look at Wendy with slightly widened eyes. Immediately after though, she composed herself and calmed down.

"Sorry about that. Can you please repeat the question?" she asked calmly while folding her hands together.

"I just asked you if something was wrong," she replied, a worried look on her features. Wendy moved closer to see Reo's face, and quietly gasped after seeing it up close and clearly.

She looked as though she had been crying earlier, the smell of salt and faint red stream-stains lingering around her eyes and on her cheeks. She also had imperceptible **(but not invisible)** blue-ish rings and bags around her large eyes, which had little to no gleams across their usually shiny surfaces.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me – there are more important things we- you should do," she said, looking up with a sad smile.

"It's no trouble, really. Besides, we're friends and it's practically my job to worry about my friends," Wendy said with a slightly stubborn tone. When she finished, she heard a small sigh escape the small mage's mouth and a little hand grip hers softly.

"Alright, fine. I'll tell you, but can it wait until we're at the guild?" Reo asked, looking form the corners of her eyes in a slightly annoyed fashion.

"Of course! And take your time when you have to!" she replied. She squeezed Reo's hand reassuringly and smiled a small smile as they continued to the Fairy Tail hall hand-in-hand.

OooooooooooooO

Levy sighed as she tossed another book on magic to the side. She and Gajeel had been looking in the guild's library/archive, as well as past newspapers and job postings, ever since they caught word the murderer was a blood-mage. Sure, the last blood-mage on record hadn't been seen for years, but that doesn't mean that he/she was dead.

However, finding out anything about them was proving more difficult than they thought. Moving from book to paper, to request, then to another book and so on, nothing really helped their case except for a list on what type of things a blood-mage can do **(which is quite a lot, with proper training and age of course)**.

"Aaagghh, there's nothing in here!" Gajeel groaned, as he threw the book he had away from him. Levy looked at him and let out another sigh.

"We just have to keep looking, Gajeel. I asked you to help me because I know Jet and Droy wouldn't do much for me, and Lu-chan is still recovering. Plus, you are a surprisingly quick reader from what I've seen," she replied, for the hundredth **(if not more)** time since they started looking.

Ignoring her comment, he got up off the ground and went over to the shelf to grab another book. Stepping onto the ladder, he reached out and grabbed the next worn spine in the row.

"Oi, squirt. Have you looked at this one yet?" he asked, showing her the cover. When she shook her head, it was an all-clear and he settled down again to start reading it. He reviewed the table of contents and turned to the first chapter.

Levy stood up and stretched her back, since she'd been sitting there for almost two hours. She looked over at Gajeel and blushed lightly.

' _He looks pretty cute when he's reading and not being all rash like normal,'_ she thought. Soon she realized she was staring and shook her head, as well as her thoughts of the two being more. _'Get ahold of yourself, Levy! We have an objective as the moment!'_ With that, she walked to the same ladder and reached for the next couple books **(since with those magic reading glasses she'd be done with them in no time)**.

Silently, she moved back to her position on the ground and slipped on the glasses. She then opened the first book and began speedreading once again, stopping every hundred pages to take some notes.

As they sat there for another twenty minutes, Levy came up with something worth sharing – a newspaper clipping crammed in between the second book's table of contents.

"Hey, Gajeel. I think I found something," she said as she read it over. Quickly, he set his book down and walked over toward her, looking at the worn paper from over her shoulder.

"Hm… _Major Loss for Loriqin Industries – Second in Command Marcus Mayushigue, Wife and Home Staff Found Murdered Outside of Home. Son Is Missing, Suspect Unidentified,"_ he read, arms crossed. The two had moved on to the description and news found out how each person had been offed, making them **(yes, even Gajeel)** shiver in disgust and slight fear – the second more on Levy's part.

"Gods, how could anyone have done this?!" she yelled, dropping the paper to the floor.

"I don't know, squirt. But maybe this is the same person who's doing all the killing in Magnolia," he said, backing away from her to get back to his book. As he turned away, something clicked in Levy's head.

"Ne, Gajeel…" she waited until he grunted in response, "isn't Reo's last name the same as the people in the report?" she asked, grabbing the paper again to reread.

"Uh, is it? I don't really remember it," he confessed while cocking a studded eyebrow. "If it is, maybe these people were her family and this's the reason why she avoids questions about them like the frickin' plague."

"Maybe, but there's too many holes in this story. She said she had a brother, but where is he? And wouldn't she be reported too if she's part of the family?" Levy asked.

"Like I said, _maybe_ they were her family. We can't be so sure." The two were then left in a less-than-comfortable silence, before Levy stood and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Gajeel, where's the book with the explanation on blood-magic?" she asked quickly. He looked down at her with slightly wide eyes before pointing at the table with tons of notes and paper. It had one single book sitting atop it with markers holding specific pages.

With a small nod, she rushed over toward it and scooped it into her hand. Then she motioned for Gajeel to follow her upstairs to show Makarov their progress.

' _It just doesn't make sense,'_ she continued thinking. _'Where is she in this report? Surely she would've been reported missing as well, since she certainly isn't dead or in the photos that were taken.'_ Levy continued moving around the guild until she and Gajeel found themselves in front of their Master's office.

OooooooooooooO

"Happy, are you sure you're not being paranoid or trying to prank me?" Lucy asked as she and said Exceed walked toward the guild.

"I'm being honest, Lucy! He's not himself; you can ask anyone else in the guild!" Happy replied quickly, eyes filled with worry. Lucy gave a sigh and tugged on the end of her shirt.

"Alright, if you're this worked up, I'll take your word for it. We should hurry though, before it _really_ gets cold, okay?"

"You should have worn something that would keep you warmer then, Lucy."

"Shut it, cat!" she yelled as she started running toward the guild to keep somewhat warm. He only chuckled as the two saw the guild hall coming into view.

It was late afternoon, almost 2:30, so there were bound to be people inside she could ask about the dragon-slayer. It unnerved her to no end, thinking of Natsu as anything but, well… _Natsu_ , especially if he was described as serious and cold – I mean, he's not _supposed_ to be cold in a literal or metaphorical/mental sense; he's the fire-dragon slayer for crying out loud!

Finally reaching the guild, Lucy threw open the door and waited for Happy to fly through until she quickly closed it. Taking a deep breathe, she already realized it was _much_ warmer in here than outside – even though it's late summer – and accepted it with open arms.

"Hello Lucy, welcome back to the guild! How're you holding up?" Mira asked from behind the guild with a smile.

A small grin made its way onto Lucy's lips as she started walking over toward the bar, saying quiet 'hello's' and 'I'm alright's' as she passed by her guildmates.

"I've been doing okay, Mira. Though I probably took more time than I really needed to," she replied sheepishly as she took a seat.

"Well, it's good to know you're doing alright. And everyone heals differently and at different rates, so it's fine. Would you like anything to eat, or drink?" she asked, turning around to grab something.

"No thanks. But… do you maybe know where Natsu is?" she said/asked, looking at the transformer-mage with curious eyes. She noticed immediately that Mira had a slight pause in her step when she asked, as well as a less bubbly demeanor and her shoulders lowered a bit.

"Well… I have, but now probably isn't the best time, Lucy." She turned around with a vaguely grim expression and looked at the mage with concerned eyes. "He's been a bit… paranoid, if you will. I think this situation is starting to get to him, especially after his freakout this morni-," she stopped suddenly and shook her head vigorously. "Oh... Nevermind that. If you'll excuse me." And with that, she quickly took her leave.

Lucy sat in a slightly dumbfounded state as she watched Mirajane leave the guild hall and walk toward the Master's office. When she was completely out of earshot, she stood up and looked around for any indication of where that pink-haired idiot could be.

Turning up with nothing, she sighed in defeat and went to look for Happy, when she saw Reo and Wendy open the doors and walk inside the guild.

"Oh, goodmorning you two!" she said happily, trying to push Natsu out of her head. The two saw her and gave warm smiles and small waves as they made their ways toward her.

"It's good to see you up and around, Lucy-san!" Wendy exclaimed excitedly as she gave the blond a hug. "How is your arm doing? Does it hurt anymore?"

"Other than it falling asleep from always leaning on it at home, nothing's wrong with it, and I seriously have to thank you for that," she said with a grin. "And how have you been, Reo?"

The small mage was then pulled out of her dream world and looked at Lucy with a sad and happy look.

"I've been pretty well, myself. Thank you for asking. What have you been up to during your time out?" she asked back, walking closer to the two.

"Well, I was gone longer than I should have been, but I spent some time just relaxing and catching up on my writing. I've gotten wind of the news, though. It's horrible, and I wish I could do something more."

"Us too, but I'm sure everyone feels that way. In the meantime, we just need to stay persistent and hopeful, and I'm sure we'll be able to give 'Rusty' a good show of justice," Wendy said cheerfully. "But right now, I need to go check on Gray and Juvia, and make sure that they're still alright."

"You mean they haven't woken up yet?" Lucy asked in a shocked tone. Wendy nodded slightly and bit her lip.

"They're still in a comatose state from when we found them in the alley. But they're much better and should wake up any day now," Reo said.

"Well, shouldn't you go check on them then?" the blond asked joyfully. Seeing the younger girls nod, she waved as they turned and made their ways to the infirmary.

"Hey, Reo? What is it you were going to te-?" Wendy asked as she opened the door, before being cut off.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget. I'll explain after we do this though, okay?" she said, like she hoped this task would take forever and stall them. The action sent a pang of guilt through Wendy's body.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. If it's pretty personal, then you can keep it to yourself, it's totally fine," she said.

"Despite the issue being pretty personal, I feel that you should know for the next time it happens. Don't fret, I want to tell you. Lucy and a few others can listen too, if they so desire… well, not Natsu, but otherwise anyone is fine."

"Well, if you say so."

OooooooooooooO

 **And that was Chapter 13.) Delving Deeper! Okay, yes this was probably pretty sucky, and probably didn't make much sense in some instances, so I apologize for that. I think there was also some cheesy and/or overused things in there, so I apologize for unoriginality. Also, Wendy and Reo's relationship is friendly, girly, and very platonic (so for those of you pervs who think I'm shipping an eight-year-old with a fourteen-year-old, get those thoughts out of your head). And ooooohh, wait until the next chapter is up! Things. Get.** _ **Interesting~.**_ **So I hope you somehow enjoyed this chapter (I'm sorry it was pretty crappy) and I apologize if anyone seemed OOC. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope to see you again soon! THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	14. Revelations

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **And here we are with the chapter that inspired me to actually write this story! I'm excited to unveil it to you, and I apologize once more for updating these three chapters so late. This sort of epidemic might surface again in the future, so I ask you to bear with me when it does. That being said, thank you all sososo much for supporting me and this story – seriously couldn't have done it without any of you. So, constructive criticism and suggestions are** _ **always**_ **appreciated, and I don't think I have any acknowledgements to make as of currently, so let's dive in!**

 ***Disclaimer – I don't own Fairy Tail (** _ **Do I seriously have to keep on saying this?**_ _Yes, yes you do_ _ **.)**_ **, Just Reo Mayushigue.**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 14.) Revelations

After checking up on Gray and Juvia, Reo and Wendy exited the infirmary in search of a vacant table to sit at **(making sure the elder mages were okay took longer than expected, since they left the room around 3:15).** They also found Lucy and asked her to accompany them, to which she agreed.

Anyway, the three finally found a spot to sit and speak at by the entrance/exit of the guild. Taking their seats, they settled and began to talk.

"So… what is it you were going to tell us about?" Wendy asked gently, placing her head in the hand resting on the table. Reo looked up at her with a gloomy expression and gave a sad smile before answering.

"My past. But before I say anything, I want to tell you that I do not want any sympathy. I hate being pitied for any reason, which is partially why I didn't want anyone's help after the whole fighting-request I made," she said coolly. Slowly, the dragon-slayer and celestial-mage nodded their heads and waited for her to continue.

" ***Sigh*** Okay, so the reason why I might appear so down today is because today is the anniversary of my elder brother's death. Ironically, he died on his birthday, so he'd be… 18 years old today," Reo said softly, eyes clouded and somewhat distant. "However, I should start at the beginning in order for this to make at least a little sense.

"So, around 20 or so years ago, there was a very wealthy and important couple by the names of Marcus and Geneine Mayushigue. They were the second in command to a very important and successful business corporation, and were meant to take it over when the first in command retired or passed away. After becoming a very successful power-couple, they had a son to uphold their name and legacy when he got older. They planned on only having sons, since a daughter would have her last name changed to that of the groom's, and follow under the word of her spouse.

"After 10 years of only having one child, they felt that they would need another son in case something happened to their current one, who they had named Konrad. Unfortunately for them, they bore a daughter who would be the clouds over their sun," she said, voice beginning to quiver with anger. Wendy stared at her for a few moments before finding herself trying not to sympathize with the girl **(and it was proving to be quite a feat)** and patiently waiting for her to calm down.

Lucy thought no different, and found it extremely hard to do so **(especially when she knows so much about parental control herself)**. _'And I thought I had had it bad,'_ she thought as she looked at the smaller mage's quivering form.

Reo's small fists were shaking as she continued to sit and compose herself to continue speaking. Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed down a bit and placed her hands in her lap.

"Sorry about that – it just makes me mad that they didn't like me for being a girl. Anyways, this girl had always taken abuse from her parents; mean comments, names, spankings, groundings, cuts, bruises, slaps, anything. They truly resented me, and that's why they kept it a secret that I ever existed. So for everyone, the Mayushigue's were still a small and wealthy family consisting of a father, a mother, and a son – I never existed.

"However, I never wanted to live my life like that, and as even a three year old I knew that. I was born with a special magic that one can inherit through birth in a 1/1,000,000 ratio. My chances of successfully managing to learn it were even smaller, but I managed to despite the odds. When my parents had learned of this, they were furious and told the council to take me away, or use me for whatever they so wished. That enraged me, and still does, so I planned on escaping their horrid and greedy hands," she paused there and looked up to see Lucy and Wendy's faces. But her saddened look became one of annoyance when she saw their eyes.

"Would you please _not_ look at me like that?" she asked sharply. Confused, the two asked what she meant. "Ugh, you two are looking at me with eyes that scream 'we're so sorry' and your faces show that you're desperately trying not to feel bad for me."

"Well, what would you expect? What you're telling us is just about some of the saddest information I've ever heard about someone! And you're what, eight? You've had to carry this and learn everything you have on your own for however many years as a child!" Lucy protested loudly, catching the attention of a few other guildmates.

"I severely doubt that this is the saddest thing you've ever heard. But, I guess this can't be helped – despite what I said, so I'll just have to deal with it," she sighed, placing her left elbow (which was wrapped with fresh bandaging) on the table and setting her head in her hand. "So, let's just continue, hm?" She waited for their confirmations, as well as some other people around to turn themselves around to listen.

"…Right then. Where was I… Oh yeah, leaving. I was fed up with their ways and unacceptance of me for who I was, so I went to tell my brother about my plans. I didn't expect him to accompany me though, since he could have anything he wanted and seemed so happy. Despite my protests, he went anyways, and we left under the cover of night. We gathered a few of our possessions and he carried them, as well as some food and water, in a backpack.

"I was really glad to finally be out of there, and he seemed pretty elated as well. We were free of two power-hungry, prideful, and greedy animals that never let us live the way we wished, or at least that's how Konrad phrased it to me. We were happy and actually could have fun together, since I never got to see him in our "home" unless it was at dinner, so being around him was really great," she smiled as she spoke with a reminiscent tone. Wendy, Lucy, and everyone else felt small tugs in their chests as the small mage smiled to herself, lost in thought.

"But," she said, her smile falling into a frown, "with time, all good things end, and these times were no exception. It was about a week or so after we left, when we had been surrounded. The council, as well as the mages that had been requested to help hunt us down, had found us. And I was ordered to be put to death for my magic abilities and "kidnapping the young heir of the Loriqin Industries' son."," she said sadly. Her eyes dulled over again and she bit her lip as she heard gasps escape some of the mages' mouths.

Amongst the mess of pity and shock, Jet and Droy stood listening and pondered her words.

"Why does this sound familiar, Jet?" the latter asked, taking a bite of the chicken he held at the moment. The speed-mage shrugged, but thought it sounded familiar, too.

"I really don't know, but this is definitely ringing some sort of bell," he said, crossing his arms.

"Anyways, someone had fired an arrow at me to try to kill me, and they would have succeeded… had my brother not moved in front of me to block it. It was aimed for my head, but Konrad and I had quite a distance from the projectile, so it hit him in the eye, killing him instantly…" she trailed off as she (as silently as she could) sobbed into her handkerchief and shook in her seat. Then the dam broke and almost anyone who was listening had at least one or two tears running down their faces. Who knew someone who seemed so, well… strong for being so young had to fight her way to that position.

Wendy silently rubbed away the water streaming down her cheeks and got up to hug Reo's petite body. Doing so, she did her best to comfort her friend and waited for things to calm down, as did everyone else.

"There's more," the small-mage whispered out, lowering the handkerchief from her face. "When, when I realized that I wouldn't last without Konrad, I tried to go home. The maids my parents had saw me and cleaned me up, not asking about my brother. But my parents noticed the fuss and confronted me about it. I tried explaining, but they kept cutting me off and asking where their son went. Finally, I gave up and told them he wasn't with me when I came back.

"They pieced it together and fetched an executioner to take my head in front of everyone that resided in that hellhole, excuse my language. But, I managed to escape from them again, before a… terrible accident befell that house. It, it managed to catch fire and burned all of the occupants inside, leaving me as the last of my family. Funny how that works, huh?" she finished with a bitter laugh. "So, that's why I'm here. To be able to help those in trouble, and have a chance at a real family – since I know how knit together everyone here is." Everyone smiled at this, and beamed proudly at her words.

"I'm terribly sorry this happened to you, Reo. You know you didn't have to tell us," Lucy said gently, moving over to try and hug said mage with Wendy – to which she succeeded.

"I told you, I do not want your pity. But… I appreciate it, from all of you. And it was my choice to share my past with you. Everyone here is so open and happy with one another. I wish to feel like that as well."

"Well, we're all nakama, and all Fairy Tail. So we'll be there for you, and we'll solve this whole ordeal as a team, friends, and a family," Wendy said with a smile. They all cheered and were about to talk about a plan, when a voice made them jump from its unusual coldness.

"So _that's_ what happened, huh?" it asked with obvious sarcasm. Everyone jumped and turned to see who the voice belonged to, shock being the initial feeling when they saw who it was.

"Natsu?! Where have you _been_!?" Lucy asked with a cocked eyebrow. She moved away from the little group and made her way over toward him. "And what do you mean _'that's what happened?'_ Do you not believe her?"

As she finished speaking, she actually got the chance to take in how he looked – tired, for starters. As well as pissed off about _something_ , and he looked… different. Not like a new haircut, but his demeanor was completely off from the one she's so used to seeing.

"Actually Luce, _no_ , I _don't_ believe her. I have _never_ believed a goddamn word that spewed out of her lying mouth," he spat coldly. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes as he moved away from Lucy toward the table.

"W-what do you mean? And what's wrong with you, Natsu? You're acting weird!" she retorted, following after him. Before he had the chance to respond, a loud 'NATSSUUUU!' echoed throughout the room, followed by an angry-looking Erza and perplexed Mirajane running out from where the Master's office was located.

"Get back here before you do anything rash, Natsu! You're obviously sleep-deprived and paranoid is all!" Mirajane yelled worriedly as the two S-class mages made their way toward him. Her words earned an eye-roll and a scoff on his part.

"And how can you prove that, Mira? You and Erza didn't just hear what she said just now – only what Levy told you! How you aren't even the slightest bit suspicious after that _still_ bewilders me, but I know what I'm talking about!" the dragon-slayer retorted.

"Listen to Mira, Natsu! You just need to go to bed and let us try and handle it for a while!" Erza exclaimed, drawing a sword.

"I am perfectly capable of continuing in this issue! And I am _not_ paranoid!" he yelled back, turning to face the two.

"We're aware that you can _help_ in this problem, but it's just not very good for your mental health! And your beliefs in thinking Reo has some association in it are just-!"

"They're **what, Mira? WHAT?!** They're crazy? Psychotic? Impossible, ridiculous, stupid?!" he fired back. "I don't see what's so fucking wrong with them – especially when they seem to be the most logical!"

The rest of the mages just watched in silence as Natsu abruptly ended the argument by walking toward Reo – who was trying to leave the guild. He ignored Erza's words and stood in front of the doors to prevent her from leaving as he pulled something out of his pocket.

"Tell me, Reo; what the hell is this?" he asked, holding a newspaper in front of her face – which she took from his hand. Reading it over, he saw her face fade form fear into annoyance. "I thought you said that the house caught fire and burned everyone inside to death?" he said with an accusing tone.

"…They _did_. I don't know who these people are," she said, staring straight into his eyes. She threw the paper back at him and crossed her arms.

"Really? You didn't know a… _Marcus Mayushigue_ , who was _second in command of Loriqin Industries_ with a _wife and missing son,_ hm?" he asked while reading over a few sentences in the articles. Noticing the others in the guild nod, she cursed under her breath and nodded. "Thought so."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Cana asked from behind the table.

"Well, it says here in this newspaper from five years ago, that the wealthy Mayushigue family was _murdered_ the night they discovered their son was "missing." And how funny is it that this article didn't mention anything of Little-Miss-Secrets over here – kind of correlating with her explanation about her parents hiding her existence," he answered, glaring at the girl in front of him.

The room went silent as thoughts rushed around everyone's heads. True, it was weird, but Reo hadn't been lying about what happened with her parents and family dying.

"Natsu, your explanation doesn't make sense. Even if they weren't exactly killed by a fire, they still died and no one was able to find their son. I still don't see why you would accuse Reo of doing anything!" Lucy said. She violently jumped when she heard a low, dry chuckle escape his throat.

"You see, Luce. That's where you're wrong. While Levy and Gajeel researched in the library, they came up with the specific traits and abilities a blood-mage can possess – including the ratios of that magic even existing still. Those standards are the exact same as the ones Reo mentioned when talking… 1/1,000,000, right?" he waited to try and let it sink in for a few seconds before continuing. "See, they never caught the murderer when this happened, and observing these pictures, they're pretty damn close in relation to the murders currently going on in Magnolia." He finished by pulling out a few current clippings and throwing them onto the table.

After passing around the papers, everyone saw and read the notes on each murder, seeing how close they really were. However, they still weren't convinced.

"I still don't see how this goes back to Reo! You're losing it, Natsu, and Mira-nee's right - you need to lie down," Lisanna said sadly. This earned a loud groan from him as he stepped closer toward Reo.

"Alright, alright fine then. I'll just have to prove it another way. Tell me, Reo; what exactly _is_ your magic ability?" he asked, crossing his arms. She glared at him and stood her ground, though you could visibly see her nervousness.

"I've already told you, you moron. I don't like talking about it, so leave me alone," she spat.

"Tch, fine. Why don't you like being around any fire then?" he asked, igniting his fist. Immediately, her eyes went wide and her arms went to defend her face.

At this point, Erza moved toward him and pulled him out of the way of the door then shoved him to the floor. Flame-Empress armor on, she pointed a sword at him and glared.

"That is **enough** , Natsu! You will cease these actions or I will make you regret it!" she yelled, getting into a stance as he started standing up. Ready to fight, he lit his fists on fire and waited for her move.

"Natsu-san, please stop! You're acting ridiculous! This-this isn't the Natsu-san that I know, and I don't like him!" Wendy yelled, tears stinging her eyes.

"Natsu, please! You're just acting paranoid! Why do you accuse Reo of such a heinous crime? How could _anyone_ do that to someone so young and sweet?!" Lucy asked angrily. "I seriously don't understand why you think someone like her could cause so much chaos! It's not even that great an accusa-!"

She was immediately silenced when a small blade zipped right past her cheek, drawing small beads of blood.

"W-what the?" she asked, bringing her hand up to her face. Looking up, she saw the knife laded short of hitting Natsu's foot, or maybe his arm **(whatever, one of his appendages)**. She turned around to see where it had come from – which is exactly where Reo was standing. "R-Re-?"

" _So, we're too young and small and sweet to cause chaos, huh?"_ she asked darkly. Her inwardly curled bangs now curled outward, and the small knife holding her hair up high was missing – well, it was on the floor by the fire dragon-slayer's toes. Her eyes were shadowed over by her bangs while a dark aura emanated from her being. _"Well, that's very stereotypical of you to think, Lucy. Just because I'm a child, I can't cause any chaos. How. Fucking. Rude."_

Lucy and everyone stared in bewilderment as Reo threw her head back and crazed laughter started coming out of her mouth. Slowly, she reached inside the sleeves of her white shirt and pulled out to daggers. Her arms then hung loosely at her sides while she kicked off her shoes and socks.

" _Wouldn't want to get these very dirty – Reo wouldn't be very happy if I did, since she says they're expensive._ However, the messier, the better it is… for me, that is," she snickered, lowering her head to show off a black eye – literally, black sclera behind red iris – on her right side.

"Reo? What's going on? Are you alright?!" Wendy asked frantically, standing from her seat. She only received a painfully familiar laughter as an answer, though. Immediately after she calmed down, she dragged her knives into her wrists and held them outward. Blood then stretched its way out of each cut and bound together like a rope as it dripped red onto the floor.

Natsu's eyes then narrowed as his pupil dilated at the sight before him. With his teeth bared, he balled is fists and once more lit his hands on fire.

"I fucking _knew it!_ " he practically screamed as his anger resurfaced. He managed to get her attention, because she was now staring at him with an amused grin. "I fucking _knew_ it was _you!"_

"Eheheheheheheh! And you were correct to be suspicious, Mr. Dragneel! Honestly, I'm surprised that you dumbasses couldn't figure out it was me until now. However, I'm not Reo. You people seem to misinterpret this too much. I'm 'Rusty.' And before you all throw a hissy fit since your perfect little guild's name has been tarnished due to having a murderous little bitch in it, let me explain a few things to you," she said, holding her hands up **(her knife handles staying in place with her pinkies, despite the blood on them weighing them down).**

The dragon-slayer didn't offer the chance for her to speak as he immediately moved forward to throw her through the doors and burn away her whips. However, she managed to avoid his fist and flames and used the ends of her weapons to hit his back and appendages. She watched victoriously as he fell onto the ground and remained there, unable to move.

"Nice work there, idiot. Now, if you'd actually let me speak, then we wouldn't be in this fucking situation – understand?" As he growled at her, she smirked and walked away from him – only to feel a sword tip prodding at her throat.

"You have some nerve tricking us like that. How dare you. And what the hell could have been your motives for committing those horrible murders, harming your nakama, and-?!" Erza began asking, before she felt Reo/Rusty apply pressure to her sword.

"Please. A sword at my throat is child's play. Also, I took it upon myself to get revenge on you asshats for what happened five years ago," she explained, paying no heed to the blood starting to drip down her neck. Her eyes were dull and looked incredibly bored as she moved them around the room. "Oh, so this is what it looks like on the inside. It's a lot less exciting then I thought it was."

Erza immediately pulled the sword back when she saw blood starting to **flood** out of where she held it **(which caused mixed reactions from her and the other onlookers)**. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood suddenly freeze in the air and stop flowing, then carefully move back into Reo/Rusty's body and seal up so it didn't spill out again.

"Jesus! What was that?!" Jet yelled as his face contorted into a look of disgust. The small mage just looked at him and smiled wickedly.

"Well, that's just _one_ of the special things I can do with this magic. But I can do other things… like **this** ," she said raising her arms into the air. "BLOOD WHIP!" she screamed as her whips pulsed and quickly slammed Erza into the wall **(with a few other people)**. "Heeheehee! Yay, it hit! It hit!"

Everyone then saw this as the initiative to use their magic and attack. Cana threw her cards, Lucy opened Taurus' door, Wendy hesitantly drew in air for a 'Sky Dragon's Roar!', and everyone else prepared their abilities. The actions only caused the now red haired mage to smirk.

"Well, very interesting. Will you all be able to attack me better than your friends just now?! Will you actually try to kill me with magic instead of hiding behind the authorities and letting them shoot my brother in his goddamn eye?!" she screeched, anger making its way onto her **(from what they see of her)** smiley face.

The mages paused slightly after what she said. 'Instead of hiding behind the authorities and letting them shoot her brother?' What did she mean by tha-

"Wait… What do you mean that we hid?!" Lucy asked angrily, ignoring Taurus and how he was ogling her again.

"Oh shit. I remember why Reo's explanation was so familiar, Jet," Droy mumbled with wide eyes.

"Why?"

"Because we were the guild that the council asked to hunt down a female blood-mage who kidnapped a rich couple's son," he said back, loud enough for others around to hear. So this was the mission that they went on when Natsu and them were on Tenrou Island for seven years.

"Ding-ding-fucking-ding! You shitheads are the ones that tried to get Reo killed through decapitation and assisted in our brother's death!" Rusty yelled angrily, flicking her arms out to test her whips. Natsu's paralysis finally wore off and he got up, hands still trying to ignite.

"How would you know it was us!?" he yelled. She only looked over at him and scoffed 'at his stupidity.'

"Because I remembered exactly how your guild emblems looked and what some of the council called you. Not that hard when it's half of what their fucking mouths spew out." After speaking, she moved a whip toward Natsu. The sound of skin slicing open was just about impossible to hear (unless you're Rusty) as Natsu's arm now held a large gash in it, blood beginning to drip out of it. "Honestly though, I'm not sure why Reo likes you all so much to get your sign stamped onto her body."

"Why do you keep referring to yourself and Reo as different people? Are you not the same?" Mira asked as Elfman stood in front of her protectively.

"Because we _are_ different people! I manifested in her weak and susceptible mind when she was three and her fucking parents tried to off her for the final time. However, I found much pleasure in making sure they didn't," she said creepily, causing some of them to shiver. "Do I just have to explain _everything_ to you about my personal life, as well as Reo's or can I kill one of you?"

When the feeling in his body returned, Natsu lit his fist ablaze and charged toward Rusty. He nailed her square in the back and felt a good chunk of his anger leave him when he saw her crash through the guild doors, screams echoing after her.

He (as well as Erza, Lucy, and well everyone else) raced outside to see her small form getting off the ground with a scowl as the street lacrima and guild lights went out. Her eyes (as well as everyone else's) and Natsu's flames were the only light in the otherwise complete darkness.

"You fucking asshole. God why does EVERYONE hit me there!? It's so fucking sore, I'm surprised Reo walks around you people all the goddamn time without hitting anything! SINFUL FEATHERS!" she growled viciously. She then took her whipless-daggers and stabbed them through her shirt and up her back.

The tearing of fabric confused those that couldn't see in the dark too well (but Mira and the dragon-slayers had an idea of what was happening thanks to slight night-vision). Then a wet splashing sound erupted as the lacrima directly behind Rusty lit up, showing off her eerie silhouette.

"Well then, let's fight, you Fairy scum," she spat while red coiled around her wrists and extended off her knives.

With blood swords and wings of wet, red feathers jutting out of her back, Rusty stood in wait, a gruesome smile splayed on her face as the light behind her went off, and on, and off, and on – until it finally turned off, leaving everyone outside in the dark.

OooooooooooooO

 **And that was Chapter 14.) Revelations! Well, I apologize again for being fricking, two months late with these chapters. They weren't even that great, either. But they're exactly how I envisioned them (and I sat around trying to seek out the perfect scenario for this chapter** _ **forever**_ **), so I can't do anything about 'em.**

 _ **So, Reo was the murderer!**_ **No, Rusty is!** _ **But isn't Rusty the same person as Reo?**_ **Nope!** _ **How does that work?**_ **Blood-magic.** _ **But how does that work?**_ **It has too many principles and is actually kinda complicated – but that's what makes it fun!** _ **Why was half of everyone you wrote for OOC?!**_ **They were? I didn't think that they-** _ **Why was this so predictable?!**_ **I…** _ **Why does Reo not like blueberries?!**_ **How do you even know that?!** _ **I don't know!**_

… **Right, well while I settle this, I'd like to thank you so much for sticking around (if you did) and reading these three chapters. I hope you liked the little cliffhanger I set for you all… Yeah, it was stupid, I know. Anyways, I hope to see you all soon! I apologize for anyone being OOC and thank you for reading! THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	15. Light VS Dark

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Welcome to Chapter 15! I'm so happy to see that this story has been able to stand on its own two feet ever since I started it in May. I hope that it'll continue to do that, so I thank you all for your support and I'm really glad you enjoy it! Anyway, constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated, and here are some acknowledgements that I must make:**

 **icallhax: Well, I wouldn't really say it's multiple personalities, since Rusty is her** _ **only**_ **"counterpart," but I guess you could look at it that way. Rusty is like the opposite of Reo… personality-wise (hence split-personality), but there's much to look into when addressing how different they are – and we've just scratched the surface ;3**

 **SakuraPetal91: One; yeah, I'm sorry about that. I know I've done a lot of** _ **baaaaadd**_ **things to a lot of characters (like,** _ **a lot**_ **), but I can't help being an emotional-pain-seeking-sadist (is that even a thing? If not, it is now). Two; Reo and Natsu are in rough waters when it comes to being… friends. She doesn't like him very much, he doesn't like her very much, end of *that* story. Finally; Mweeheheheh, cliffies are le best – sorry-not-sorry about that! =3**

 **localwizahd(Guest): Heehee… only time (and future chapters) can answer your question, bro! Sorry! But I will assure you this – you'll never GUESS how this ends! Well… scratch that. You guys are smart, so you'll probably figure it out or have a good idea of what happens before I even say what it is. -_-**

 **notaguest(Guest): Well my friend, here is the awaited chapter. I'm very sorry it's as late as it is, but sometimes this much suspense and buildup for something that should be cool is worth it? ...Yeah, I didn't think so either. ~3~**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't own anything from Fairy Tail – just Reo Mayushigue**

 **!BTW – Did anyone hear about how Hiro Mashima confirmed that there's gonna be a SECOND FAIRY TAIL MOVIE?! OH MY GOD THE IMAGE HE DREW WHEN HE CONFIRMED IT MADE ME WANT TO SCREAM AND ALL MY DREAMS MAY POSSIBLY COME TO LIFE! I** _ **HAVE**_ **TO WATCH IT!111111! DX! [AND YES, I DID JUST FIGURE THIS OUT]**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 15.) Light VS. Dark

The only sounds that could be heard were the small or large intakes of breath and loud _plip-plop-plip-plop_ 's coming from Rusty's form as Natsu's flames flickered in the evening's darkness, just illuminating a good couple feet in front of him. As each mage summoned their magic power, said blood-mage stood in wait as her opponents' faces only grew colder.

' _Tch, they're gonna end up ramming into one another if they all aim for me and attack at the exact same time, morons,'_ she thought, grip tightening on her blade handles. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area – as a back-up plan, she could flee if she was overwhelmed by the battle.

 _~Rusty! Stop this! I… I don't want to hurt anyone!~_ a voice yelled in the back of Rusty's head. She only rolled her eyes as she made a silent retort.

' _Oh yeah, sure; then why do you always think about what would happen if you and that flaming-bastard over there fought again, hm? You always imagine seeing a bruise on his ugly-ass face caused by your overly-sensitive hand, so I don't see how this is gonna be much different.'_

 _~They're my frien– I care about them and don't want you_ killing anyone anymore!~ she yelled back. With another roll of her eyes, Rusty completely shut out Reo's words and locked her subconscious away so she'd be able to focus.

She then scanned over the guild members that hadn't gone home earlier, the smaller and weaker mages standing behind the stronger ones – which were Erza, Mirajane, Gajeel **(who had joined the "party" when he and Levy heard a commotion outside Makarov's office),** Elfman, and Natsu.

An argument currently was going on between Lucy and Natsu, catching her attention. They seemed to be fighting about the current situation – Natsu saying she couldn't go out and fight her after _just_ healing from the last attack, while she argued back saying she could handle herself this time. Gajeel and Levy were going on about something similar, but both ended with the same result – a yell from the dragon slayer along the lines of "I'm not letting one of the best people in my life get hurt anymore than necessary!" which had managed to shut both of them up. Good.

Her pale lips curled up into a wicked smile as she moved her shoulder blades and extended her "wings" to take on a more menacing appearance.

How she was going to take all of them on and manage to slit their throats was as good a guess as if the guild food was good – she didn't know, and liked it that way.

OooooooooooooO

Natsu's mind was in a frenzy as thoughts continuously swarmed around. He felt intense rage and hatred toward the little brat standing across the street from them, yet he was curious as to what would become of her when this ended – surely, she wouldn't be permitted into the guild again, but whether she would be executed or imprisoned forever was a wild guess. He felt some ounces of pity since despite being a cold-blooded killer, she was only a child who couldn't control the horrible magic-power she had been cursed with when she was born, and she _was_ **(by guild law)** his nakama.

He couldn't place it, but he felt the odd need to protect her, in a weird sort of way – not like Lucy or Wendy, but enough to know what it was and that it was there. But the cost of one mage weighed much less than an entire guild, and he still would enjoy beating her into the ground for causing all the atrocities she did, so he pushed the thought aside.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a quiet voice echoed throughout the space between them. His eyes landed right on Rusty's silhouette as she flicked her arms outward, causing her whips to extend.

"So," she started lowly, "are we going to engage in battle or what? This little stand-off here is pretty fucking boring, ya' know." Her teeth seemed to give off their own glow as she drew her lips back further.

His mouth curled into a sneer as he prepared to charge forward, red beginning to haze over his vision slightly. He took a step back, then using the extra propulsion flung himself at her form, hands trailing brilliant red flowers in his wake.

The other guild members decided to follow suit, charging behind their friend to attempt to land a solid hit on the girl.

Wendy's saddened cries echoed throughout the night as she watched her friends go out on her other friend. Mirajane had stayed behind in attempts to comfort her, but turned out to be in vain as Wendy's sobs only got louder.

 _Her_ smile only widened as she watched the spectacle before her, before launching herself into the air and staying there **(courtesy of her wings)** to dodge their advances at last minute. Once airborne, she pulled her arms back and slammed them against each other, causing the whips to emit a violent 'slap' sound and injure the poor fools caught between them; which just so happened to be Gajeel and Elfman.

More pained cries could be heard from the sidelines where Mirajane, Lisanna, Levy, Lucy, the Exceeds, and Wendy sat watching the entire thing. All the nonfighting members yelled out for their guildmates as the bloody bindings wrapped around their throats and suspended them in the air.

"GAJEEL/ELFMAN!" Levy and the Strauss sisters screamed out in panic. Their eyes had become wide and teary as they watched each male try to pry the rope-like structure from his neck, or attack her so she'd drop him, or both – whichever way got him breathing fastest. But no such luck came to either.

They had started fading from consciousness when an infuriated sword sliced straight through the flimsy things, causing them to drop to the ground in choking heaps. The whips became normal blood once more and splashed onto the stone beneath their owner's form.

Immediately, Mirajane, Lisanna, and Levy began sprinting toward them to make sure they were all right, followed by Wendy. They kneeled by their sides and tried to get them to steady their breathing, which left them very vulnerable.

The blood-mage attempted to strike at them with some of her hidden daggers while they were distracted, but ended up being deflected by Erza's swords and watchful eyes. With an annoyed click of her tongue, she moved away from her and summoned a long, red blade that gleamed in the faint flames underneath her.

Suddenly, she felt heat rushing toward her feet, noticed the faint fire from earlier began growing, and barely managed to move away from a flaming fist of rage that aimed for her face, the edge of her skirt catching fire. As he began to fall to the ground again, Rusty slashed the sword at his face and cut his cheek wide open, frantically trying to pat out the flames.

Blood soon spilled out from where Natsu held his face, the warm liquid spilling from behind his fingers. As he landed on the ground, he saw that Elfman and Gajeel had managed to recover, now accompanied by Mirajane who had transformed into her first Satan Soul. Erza was in the air, ensuing a blade on blade battle with the girl.

Metal scraped against **[sort of]** metal as their swords collided, their screeches echoing throughout the evening air. Admittedly, Rusty's swordsmanship was pretty quick paced if she was managing to continuously block the requip-mage's forceful strikes, but that was all she was doing – blocking, which left her defenseless to other attacks.

' _Fuck, she just won't quit, will she?!'_ Rusty thought, moving her blade once more to defend her chest. At this rate, she was going to end up getting hit either by Erza or by one of the mages below, which pissed her off royally.

And the latter is exactly what ensued.

A warm feeling immediately surrounded the area and two girls, causing the fight to cease momentarily. As Rusty looked down, she saw Natsu speeding toward her, eyes blazed with rage, determination, hatred, and many more negative feelings.

Forgetting her position, she didn't have the time to move away from the brilliant flames as they snaked around her and scorched her nearly translucent skin. A fist collided with her chest, and sent her spiraling downward, red and orange flickers pursuing.

A scream escaped her mouth as her body slammed into the cobblestone below, along with a gargle-like sound that one would assume to be her choking on her blood. Dust arose and covered the area well, making almost everyone unable to see one another. Natsu shortly joined the others on the ground, carefully sniffing out his opponent's scent.

Immediately, he pinned her location and carefully made his way toward her. Through the thick and dark haze, he faintly saw her figure struggling to stand up, her "wings" limp and twisted about as they drooped painfully to the side.

However, as suddenly as he had seen her, had she disappeared from his sight. Cursing silently, he moved forward in attempts to spot her once more. Once he did, he would make sure to take her down finally.

But Rusty had other plans.

She had managed to avoid the dragon-slayer's nose and sneak behind him, using the blood she had spit up as a distraction. Silently, she brought a knife overhead and was ready to strike.

By now the dust had cleared somewhat, and left all the mages angrily wondering as to where she had went. Lucy's desperate call for Natsu was the first one to be heard as she spotted his (and Rusty's) location. As they all managed to find him, they too screamed out a warning.

Luckily he had managed to move out of the way before a dagger plunged straight through the area between his neck and shoulder, only brushing against his scarf.

"FUCK!" Rusty exclaimed as she flared her wings out once more. They looked as though they'd been hastily repaired – which is probably the case – but strong enough to support her for a short while. The force she had driven into the blade was so much she had ended up falling to the ground before managing to keep herself up.

Quickly she brought herself back up to a stance, prepared to take on whoever came at her next – which was Mirajane. There was a low chance of her surviving if battling between her and the other S-class mage ensued. She barely was capable of fending off Erza, and now she was going against 'Demon Mirajane!'

And great, the other mages were surrounding her too. This was not a good position to be in – not at all. But what're you gonna do?

With uneven breaths, she used her magic to reopen the self-healing wounds on her forearms and immediately, an idea sparked in her head. She hadn't tried this since she killed her/Reo's parents, and even then it wasn't successful. But it **was** just a defensive tactic, and it'd help her get away.

She quickly forced the blood to exit her body through the multiple cuts she had gained from her fall. Two magic circles formed at the bases of her hands and began glowing. Magic energy flowed from her body in immense waves, and was powerful enough to blow back everyone's hair. Suddenly, a bright flash of hazy red, a loud gust of wind and a gross splatter-y feeling hit every mage in the area **(save herself)** and blinded/deafened them temporarily.

OooooooooooooO

Gajeel remembered this spell from one of the books he and Levy had found. It was called "Virgin's Purity," or something like that, and it caused anyone the user believed to be an enemy to suddenly see a blinding light and feel as though they're drowning in their own blood, hearing and seeing nothing but red and thick liquid. The drowning part might need some work, but he definitely couldn't see anything around him – not even his hand, despite holding it right up to his face.

"You bitch! What the Hell did you even do?!" Natsu's voice yelled angrily.

"Elf-nii! Mira-nee! Where did you go?!" Lisanna screamed desperately, panic evident as she couldn't pinpoint her brother's location.

"I'm here! Nee-san, Lisanna, where are _you_?" he asked back. This was gonna go on for a while, Gajeel knew. Levy knew what this was, and he knew where she was at the moment so he wasn't that worried about her.

However, anyone she truly believed to be an enemy would have been affected, and a good load of everyone outside couldn't see straight. But he heard someone calling out in a fearful and confused manner… Wendy! Wait, what? Tuning out everyone else's frantic shouts, he focused on Wendy's familiar tone.

"Guys?! W-what's going on!? Are you alright? Reo, please stop this! What are you doing to them?" her voice yelled, shaky with unshed tears. It left Gajeel in a stump – just why was Wendy okay?

Then it clicked – Wendy [and maybe Bunny-Girl] had been the closest people that Reo/Rusty **(whatever, they're basically the same person in Gajeel's head)** had out of the entire guild, so she didn't see her as a threat – maybe the fact that Wendy was okay could help them defeat the little brat. The dragon slayer suddenly found his voice.

"Wendy!" he yelled, trying to find where she was without seeing her. When he heard a quiet "Gajeel?" he took the initiative to continue. "Wendy, she's using a spell! It makes anyone she truly sees as an enemy see a blinding light and feel as though they're drowning!" Leaving out the 'in-their-own-blood' part might've been a good idea on his part, since he didn't want her to freak out anymore than she already had.

"What?!" she squeaked, tone full of fear.

"You're not being affected, so she must not think of you as a threat! You can use that to your advantage and attack her while she is in her trance-like state!" Levy had called out form somewhere to his right. So she _had_ heard… good – Levy was always helpful.

"W-what am I supposed t-to do?!" she asked, voice cracking with emotion. The two stayed quiet, since they knew she liked Reo and because it was Wendy – she didn't really enjoy hurting people, as I'm sure you know.

"HIT HER NECK!" she called out, making Wendy look between the two mages. Confusion lit up her features, since A.) That could NOT have been Gajeel's voice, and B.) Levy's vocal pitch was not that high. As she looked at their faces, she could make out confused expressions on them, looking at the direction the voice had come from.

Following suit, Wendy turned to match their gaze – since she knew they couldn't actually see anyone/anything, and saw one of Rusty's eyes open. It was the right one, the one that should've been black with a red pupil, but was instead replaced with a familiar, almost-glowing, yellow one. Wendy was surprised to see the mismatch eye that she had grown accustomed to seeing everyday, and felt a pang of sadness pass over her when she saw the exhaustion and silent desperation in that simple eye.

"…R-Reo?" she hesitantly called out. Her friend's eye instantly snapped open from its half-lidded stupor prior. It looked directly at her as Wendy pushed her hair out of her face, waiting for the next move from her or her friends.

OooooooooooooO

It was difficult, trying to awaken from what seemed like an eternal nap every time Rusty had locked her away, but this seemed near damn impossible. Rusty had definitely gotten stronger, and had been waiting since day one for this moment. Trying to fight her for control every night was always in vain and she only ended up more exhausted in the morning.

Right now, though, something had managed to pull her through the dark cloudiness her mind had become enshrouded in. A voice, a familiar voice… She was talking to some people - about what, she couldn't figure out as their words were muddled and quickly spoken. Slowly, she had managed to conclude that it was Wendy's voice, speaking with… Gajeel, maybe.

' _They must have been discussing how to take Rusty down,'_ she thought. Immediately, she mustered as much strength as she could from her position, when she nearly stopped dead in her tracks. She recognized this feeling; this pain, this struggle, this-this anguish as her side of her mind registered the way her body was positioned. _'Virgin's Light!'_ she remembered, as she would never forget it.

As she continued trying to reach consciousness, forcing her own will and power into it, she gained control of only her right eye and her mouth and vocal chords, to which she shouted out how to rid her of this evil.

The spell Rusty was currently transfixed in left her completely vulnerable until she finished it, which would take another minute or two. Which meant she could tell whoever that if they struck her neck, she'd instantaneously go down. Why? Because it was overly sensitive, much like most of thei– _her_ body, but had become her Achilles heel as time progressed. Any further explanation couldn't be provided, but she told what she knew whenever someone asked.

Suddenly she was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Wendy's faint voice call out her name. She used her eye **[that had now returned to its original color]** and stared directly into Wendy's. Guilt came crashing down inside herself, and she now felt a loss of control in her throat.

"Reo, did-did you say that?" she asked, louder than before. Unfortunately, said mage could only use her eye to signify anything. She blinked, hoping it'd confirm any suspicions her friend had.

Thankfully, it did, and she found the will to use her voice again.

"Wendy, you have to hit her neck – just below the left ear and on the right indentation of her throat!" she yelled desperately. She could feel the magic power increasing, and her strength decreasing as it rose.

"Why there?!" she asked, thinking of all the other parts of her body that she had seen Reo flinch from having touched.

"It's the weakest point of my body! Now hurry, please! She won't be distracted like this for much longer!" She felt slight relief as she saw Wendy nod and start to dart forward, and immediately began thinking of how to deal with what she was about to have the slayer do.

OooooooooooooO

 **And that was chapter 15.) Light Vs. Dark**

 **Aaaaaaaeeeeyyyyyyy~~**

 **...I know, I'm the worst. This chapter so wasn't even worth the wait, and I'm sorry. I got caught up with school a little bit since I have extracurriculars, so I tend to lose track of time. Also, my computer went wonky and I had to get another one (writing on my phone does not work well, either). Heh heh, sorry. But anyway, what's Reo going to do?! Wait 'til next chappie to find out – which I'll be posting shortly.**

 **Also, Reo's dislike of blueberries is just a little funfact about her, I guess. It's kinda like how Rusty despises pink - despite it being the top color of her hair (you probably really don't care about that, huh?). Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next time! THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	16. A Race Against Time

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Eeeeeeeeyyyyyy!11!~** ** _*Dodges a vase*_** **Okay, okay, I know, I know! I'm sorry I haven't-** ** _*Dodges_** ** _another_** ** _vase*_** **updated in two months! I have no excuse for not- *** ** _Dodges a_** ** _chair_** ** _*_** **doing that, except for I was lazy and lost track of- *** ** _Dodges a_** ** _stool_** ** _*_** **time! My birthday was on the 13th, if anyone cares to know, and I wanted to have this up by then, but that didn't work out, soooo... Sorry! 0-0 *** ** _DODGES A TABLE*_** **ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT, SUGGESTIONS AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED-** ** _*DODGES A CAR* AND HERE ARE SOME ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I HAVE TO MAKE:_**

 **notaguest(Guest): I'm glad you think it's suspenseful, Love - that's what I'm going for! And you'll get to figure out what happens next right now! :3**

 **SakuraPetal91: * _covers ears_ * I'm sorry the last chapter may have caused some people to act uncharacteristically!11! And Wendy is able to handle what's thrown at her most of the time!... Yeaahh... _most_ of the time.**

 **Dane Jimos(Guest): I'm so glad you like it! And btw, you're never too late to the party (if anybody's late, it's _me _ for never updating earlier than I do Xb), so don't fret for pointless reviewing (and any reviews are never pointless to me). I'm glad you think I write the characters well - that's probably the most important thing to me while I'm writing this!**

 **biscuit(Guest): New chapter right now! I'm sorry for the wait, but now it's here! Just please don't throw anything at me and you'll get to read chapter 17!**

 **I hope you all enjoy the chapt- * _DODGES A FUCKING BELUGA WHALE *! _How the Hell did you even _lift_ that?!**

 ***Disclaimer* I do not own Fairy Tail or anybody in it. But I do own Reo/Rusty Mayushigue**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 16.) A Race Against Time

 _She felt slight relief when she saw Wendy nod and start to dart forward, and immediately began thinking about how to deal with what she was about to have the slayer do._

Reo took a look at Rusty's unconscious form on the ground of their/her mind before letting out a sigh, opening her eye again to see Wendy struggling against the forceful magic Rusty was dishing out. She sighed and turned to look at Rusty once more, shoulders hunched when she truly caught sight of her.

 _'Gah, disgusting. I've been unconscious in my own head for so long I forgot just_ what _you looked like, Rusty. How awfully unappealing,'_ she thought to herself sickly. Reo turned away from her and looked out whatever opening she had created with her real-world eye to see how Wendy was holding up. Not very well from what she could see, but she was gaining ground... Hmm...

 _'So I'm really having someone do this, huh?'_ she thought to herself sadly. _'Well, about damn time then - the people of Fiore have been suffering long enough with me and_ her _around. I think it's time we ended this little "game" we play right now.'_

As she physically and metally prepared herself with what was about to happen, she felt something behind her begin to stir. As if something was awakeni... Oh shit.

 _'W-what? What's going on?'_ she heard a voice echo tiredly. Of course, of all times for her to wake up, she was doing it at the most important! Why did she always have the worst timing?!

Reo stayed silent as she watched Rusty begin to sit up from the corner of her eye. She looked around with a confused expression on her face that would have looked innocent and cute if it were on anyone else. But it wasn't, because she knew that behind it was a wicked plan being concocted.

 _"I know you're there, Reo~. And I know you're awake~,"_ she said in an overly cheery sing-song voice. It made a shiver run up Reo's back as she turned to face her evil doppleganger. She wore a sinister cheshire-cat-like grin, and her eyes were only half open, like she was still recovering from her daze.

 _"What do you think you're_ doing _u_ _sing Virgin's Purity?! Are you trying to kill them?!"_ she screeched, though she already knew the answer to that question. Rusty's smile only grew wider as she began to stand up, dark legs fading into nothing beneath her.

 _"Of course I was trying to kill them, you idiot! Why else would I have used it - to distract all the people around me and put them into 'La-La Land" as they sit and think about why they can't hear or see anything? That's fucking stupid,"_ she spat. Reo clamped her hands around her newly manifested knives and summoned her whips, frown sinking deeper when she saw Rusty copy her actions. _"Oh, playing games now, are we? You haven't fought with your magic in ages, Reo - always let_ me _have that pleasure, and steal the one thing you're supposed to 'help' people with. You sure you wanna take me on?"_

 _"I don't need you to tell me_ I _can't use_ my own _magic, Rusty - I know I can't - but that won't stop me from fighting against my enemy. I won't give up in the face of impossibility, and I will_ never _give up to you again, you bitch."_

 _The two had a mental stare-down in the midst of their mind, weapons raised and ready for attack the moment the other struck first. If looks could kill, the both of them would be killed and continuously die for centuries on end._

 _"So, I guess it's gonna be_ that _way, huh? Oh well; it'll be more fun this way, anyway."_ With that, the two lunged forward toward the other, anger and hatred blazing in one's eyes while amusement and murderous intent reflected in the other's.

OooooooooooooO

Wendy continuously tried to reach Reo's body, staggering and stopping as she was forced back by her friend's immense magic power. As she continued moving forward, she noticed all of her guildmates beginning to come out of whatever trance they had been in.

Suddenly she felt the magic force weaken, and almost fell forward due to pushing so hard against it. As she raised herself up, she saw Reo look as though she was in a struggle, her face contorted into an expression of pain.

With that, she pushed herself forward once more and raised her arm to strike. Her face was set in determination as she continued with her "task."

 _'I'm almost there! Just wait Reo!'_ she thought, another surge of energy seemingly blasting her forward. But right as she was about to make the hit, she felt something wrap around each of her arms and lift her off the ground, causing her to just miss her target.

"What?!" she shouted in confusion as she started to madly thrash about, looking up to see Carla and Happy flying upward with her in their paws. "Happy?! Carla?! What are you doing?!"

"We're getting you out of that mess and away from _her_!" Carla shouted angrily. Wendy could see them struggling to lift her as she moved, but that wasn't the issue at hand. "Why on Earthland were you running toward her?! She could hurt you!"

"Because she asked me to!" she shouted back, anger running through her blood. Honestly, she needed to get down before one of the mages below them attacked and killed her! "She asked me to-!"

"Because she asked you to? Because she _asked you to?!_ Wendy, that is _**not**_ a reason to try and run toward a psychopathic murderer!" she yelled, fury blazing in her tiny eyes. She sharply turned her attention to Happy, who was struggling to keep his hold. "Happy, fly faster, we need to get her out of here, and stop struggling, Wendy!"

"Aye!" he yelled determinedly.

"Just put me down - she needs my help! Rusty has control of her body and if I don't got down and attack her like she asked me to while you were all unconscious she's going to hurt everyone!" Wendy pleaded.

"No! We're taking you out of there!"

"But Carla, let me finish! Maybe I can change your mind and-!"

"Wendy, just knock it off! We're taking you out of here because you're in danger!" Happy said stubbornly.

"Please, just let me finish-!"

"NO!" both Exceeds shouted angrily.

"Carla, Happy, PLEASE - PLEASE, JUST PUT ME DOWN!"

"NO, AND THAT'S FINAL, WENDY!" Angry and desperate, Wendy began struggling even harder against her captors, tugging, pulling, writhing, anything she could do to get them to let go. "WENDY STOP! THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!"

The slayer only ignored them as she continued to try and get out of their grasp, but to no avail. Out of one final attempt to free herself, she summoned her magic and took in a large gust of air.

 _'I'm sorry, Carla, Happy, but I_ have _to save my friend, and if you won't listen, this is all I can do,'_ she thought sadly. Without another thought, she yelled a loud **"Roar of the Sky Dragon!"** and forced the Exceeds away with the wind, making them let her go and drop her.

"WEEEEENNN _NNDD **DDDYYYYY!"**_ she heard Carla screech as the two were blown skyward. She winced, knowing the scolding she was bound to receive when they got back down, but immediately shook the idea out of her head and turned to race back toward Reo. Luckily, the three hadn't gotten very far due to Wendy's struggles, so she could race back and be there in about a minute.

"Please, please, _please_ let it not be too late," she said under her breath as she began running again.

OooooooooooooO

Reo held her abdomen tightly as more of her blood spilled from her wound. _(Despite all of this just taking place inside of her head, in this instance it was all very real as she fought her double for control)._ She glared with all of the burning hatred she could muster at the more sinister version of herself as it stood in front of her, unscathed of course.

 _"Face it, Reo._ I'm _the superior one here, and clearly more fit for running this pretty little head of "ours". Why don't you just give up and accept the fact that if you don't you'll die?"_ Rusty asked with a smile.

 _"Fuck. You,"_ she spat through pants, blood now dribbling out the corners of her mouth. Rusty's smile only widened as she took Reo's challenging words and grabbed her disheveled hair, yanking her upwards with a yelp of pain.

" _You_ really _wanna take that tone of voice with me, honey?"_ Rusty asked slowly. _"Because_ I _don't think you're in any position to tell_ me _what to do. And just why would that be?"_

Suddenly the pain in Reo's abdomen intensified as Rusty jammed one of her blades into her. She screamed loudly, in hopes someone would hear her, but no one would. She was only inside her head, after all. Rusty then ripped the blade out of her, and shoved it back in, continuing the action for what seemed like hours.

The worst part was that this wouldn't kill her - nothing would, unless she grew old enough and died of age. That was her curse for having the magic of Gods. She could heal any person she wished of any ailment if it involved their blood, organs; basically everything in their bodies except for the bone. But with this power, she would be sought out by an evil enough force, or thing that drove her so far off the edge that they took control of her body and power to use for evil, as Rusty had done.

And the torture wouldn't stop until she succumbed to Rusty's demands.

 _"Because_ you _can't do shit to me, or **anyone**_ _for that matter._ That's _why. Now unless you surrender to me, this is_ never _gonna end. You know that."_

 _"Just ***stab*** becauseI ***stab*** know that, doesn't ***stab*** mean that ***stab*** I'm gonna do it," _ she breathed out, pain momentarily blinding her as the knife continued re-entering her body. After each stab, the wound quickly tried to seal and heal itself, as it would with her magic, but was stopped mid-process by Rusty who continued her knife assault.

 _'Please, Wendy... hurry,'_ Reo thought silently, _'the magic barrier has to be down by now, you should be able to hit me.'_ She continued her silent plea as pain radiated throughout her body over and over again.

OooooooooooooO

Wendy managed to reach the street where everyone was just as they all snapped out of their dazes, confused and worried. She looked around frantically to make sure everyone else was still there, and felt momentary relief when she counted nine heads (not including Carla and Happy). But her relief was short lived as she saw the looks everyone was directing toward Reo, who was clutching her stomach with a pained look on her face.

Natsu looked the angriest out of them all, and she immediately kicked herself into gear and ran straight for her friend, trying to reach her before he did. She gave herself a push with a bit of her magic to reach her faster, but Natsu seemed to have the same idea since fire blasted out from underneath his feet. She may have been closer to Reo, but he was really fast and getting closer than her.

 _'Almost there!'_ she mentally shouted, looked around for anyone that may stop her again. When she saw that no one would be able to stop her in time, she gave one final blast of air toward Reo's body and raised her arm upward.

But in that very instant, three things happened simultaneously:

1.) The second Wendy's hand came into contact with Reo's neck, her eyes shot wide open and shoved her backward, which caused the slayer to be exactly where she once stood,

2.) Immediate relief washed over her for completing Reo's request, and

3.) A severe burning pain hit her straight in her stomach and sent her slamming into the brick of the closest building.

OooooooooooooO

He didn't mean it.

Oh God, he didn't mean it.

He saw Rusty standing there doing nothing, and he wanted to take the opportunity to take her down before she could do anymore damage. So he did, and began racing toward her.

He used his fire to give him some extra velocity and move him faster, and charged a **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** to attack her. He didn't even see Wendy racing toward her too, just as much determination as him.

Before he even realized what had happened, Wendy had hit Rusty on the side of her neck, which shoved her backward and made her take her place, and he ended up hitting the sky-slayer instead. He was blinded with rage and ended up blasting poor Wendy into the side of a building.

He didn't mean it, Wendy. Please forgive him.

 _Please._

OooooooooooooO

 _"Just accept that you will_ never _have your body all to yourself again! Accept that you'll forever be under my control! Just_ ACCEPT YOUR FUCKING FATE, YOU STUPID BLOODY WORM!" Rusty screamed, driving a sixth blade into Reo's body, blood gushing out of each wound in copious amounts.

Reo's eyes were screwed shut in agony, teeth clenched painfully tight as she dealt with each blow she received. Every stab, punch, cut, kick, and other violent force delivered only drove her further to the idea of stopping this endless torture before she could be stopped with Wendy's help.

 _"...Someone..._ will _come, an-and get rid, of... you, you disgus-gusting..._ bitch," she choked out, blood dripping down her chin. Red tears were streaming from the corners of her eyes and mixing with her blood, creating a larger puddle **(more like pool)** of liquid beneath the two.

 _"Oh, will they? You waiting for your little savior? Your little friend Wendy? Fat chance of her coming around to help you! Virgin's Purity stops_ everyone _that_ I _believe to be an "enemy," and by my standards everyone out there would be considered an enemy to_ me.

 _"You can stop hoping for someone to come by and help you, because no one is_ going to and it's not going to happen, _you understa-?"_ Immediately, she stopped speaking and just about froze, ceasing her attacking. Reo's eyes opened a bit to see what was the matter. She saw Rusty's body shaking with wide eyes staring straight at her. She felt her body begin shaking as well, and she willed herself to open her physical eye.

She saw what appeared to be Wendy shoving her backward, a smile of relief on her face as she managed to hit her neck. But as she did so, she caught a glimpse of pink hair and blazing fire racing toward them, managing to hit Wendy in her side and send her flying into a building. Natsu went soaring in front of her then, and his face morphed from rage to guilt and... maybe realization.

 _"W-what did you do?"_ Reo heard. She quickly realized Rusty was using their/her mouth. She took her attention away from the real world and turned to look at Rusty, who fell to the ground with shaky limbs. _"What the_ **fuck** _did you **do**?!"_

 _"...What I had..._ had _to do. While you were unconscious, I con-consulted in 'my little friend' and told her_ exactly _what to do to end your reign of torment,"_ she replied darkly, raising a shaky hand to wipe away her blood. She slowly rose to somewhat of a stand, and stared at Rusty with reddened eyes.

"WHAT? YOU DID **WHAT?!** " Rusty screeched. She pushed herself off the ground and ran straight for Reo, charging into her and slamming them onto the ground. Reo only smiled as Rusty glared daggers into her and tried to stab her again.

 _"T-that's right, bitch. And now, now you know what's about to happen,"_ she whispered. She felt Rusty slide off of her body, seemingly in defeat as she screamed, **"N** **OO! _NOO!"_** over and over. Her smile grew wider as she closed her eyes and waited.

OooooooooooooO

 **Chapter 16.) A Race Against Time, is now complete! Again, I'm sorry that this took so long [please don't throw anything else at me], and I am working on chapter 17 right now! I'll have it up as soon as possible (and that will be a lot sooner than this one), so don't panic!**

 **Reminding me, thank you so much for reading this and reviewing when you all do, I appreciate it so much, and it makes me really happy! I apologize if anyone seemed OOC, please tell me if there was anything wrong it with this chapter (there's a lot, I know), and I hope to see you next time. THANKYOU, and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


	17. The Split

Fire and Blood ~ A Fairy Tail Fanfic

By Vanillamon

 **Heyy~ Welcome to chapter 17! Okay, I know I'm literally the worst when it comes to getting the new chapters out for you guys, and I'm the fucking worst, so I'm really sorry. It's come to the point where I'm not even going to try and offer some half-assed excuse as to why the chapter is late _again_. Just know I'm a horribly lazy piece of shit with no sense of time at all. Anyway, I had to study for finals (because it was May) and I absolutely hated it. Like, when am I ever going to use the quadratic formula in my life when I'm 37? Anyway, constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated and I have to make some acknowledgements:**

 **Guest: Yup! Still alive BTW. Also, Pineappleluvuh told me she's on a quick hiatus for her stories, and she's been having a hard time trying to come up with new ideas since she's rewriting something as well, but no she's not dead. That being said, that (and my extreme laziness) is the reason as to why Pinellamon just kind of disappeared off the face of, hmm let's see, the interwebs, and the Earth in general. Sorry about that, but we'll keep trying to get out of this rut we're stuck in. :3**

 **dood(Guest): Okay, okay, you can put the whales down! Let's just talk this out and let me give you this brand new chapter! It's been edited, rewritten, and has had much thought put into it, so you can read it, and I can _not_ have you throw those whales, deal? Deal! XD Anyway, yup - the chapter's right here, so I hope you enjoy it pal!**

 **guestiamnot(Guest): It unfortunately has been three+ months actually, and I am dreadfully sorry for the wait. I am a horrible person, I know. My poor baby, I hope this chapter will soothe your beautiful heart-waffles and make them feel happier! But I should probably warn you this is gonna be sad.**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't own Fairy Tail in any way, shape, or form. Reo and Rusty Mayushigue, however, are mine.**

 **!NEWSFLASH: OMG IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE I STARTED THIS PIECE OF WORK! I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE UNTIL I WAS LOOKING OVER ITS STATS IN THE MANAGE STORIES TAB. LITERALLY WTF I'M SO SURPRISED - THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME DESPITE ME BEING A SLOW ASS UPDATER WITH SHITTY CHAPPIES! ^3^**

 **Now, LET'S BEGIN!**

 **OooooooooooooO**

Chapter 17.) The Split

Wendy had a hard time trying to regain any semblance of breath as she curled in on herself, bracing herself for the impact she knew was bound to come as she was hurled away from Reo. Whatever breath she had gulped down in those... four, five seconds? was lost and rendered her breathless once more as her back slammed against the closest building - brick, she dubbed it, by the way it felt.

Tears unconsciously found their ways out of her eyes as she crumpled to the ground in agony. Everywhere hurt; her back, her belly, her head, her muscles, her brain, _everything_ was just sore beyond anything she'd ever felt before.

 _'Natsu-san really did a number on me... no wonder all his enemies fear him!'_ she thought, recalling her brother-like figure and how he looked as he raced toward Reo alongside her. His angry face, the determination in his features, and his nearly impossible speed came flooding back to her memory. Suddenly her pain melted away, if only briefly, when the fact that Natsu had been the one to send her careening into a building returned to her.

She knew it wasn't his fault. If anyone's, it was hers for not being fast enough, or for the fact that she was the one who started blindly charging toward Reo in the first place. Though she also knew Natsu wouldn't let her blame herself for any of it.

With that thought, she uncurled herself from her position amongst the rubble of the now-broken flower shop, and tried to push her body off of the ground only to collapse back onto her side. The action almost made her black out from the pain it caused, but she had to remain strong, _for her friends!_

With more determination, she lifted herself again, successfully this time. Pausing for a couple of breaths, she looked up to see the dust from the impact and broken rock had yet to settle and clear her view of the area, but she could make out a couple of shapes standing amidst it like they didn't know what to do.

One that she could see the distinct shape of was sitting back, propped on their elbows. They weren't moving, and the dust made it hard to clarify, but it looked like it might have been Reo.

Wendy was about to call out to her when she saw another shape move out of the corner of her eye. They stood tall and held what appeared to be a weapon in their right hand. They were walking forward, toward Reo's fallen shape, and Wendy clearly realized who she was with the long hair trailing behind her.

 _'Erza-san,'_ Wendy thought, pushing more of her weight forward in attempts to stand up. She ground her teeth together in strain, as she slowly pushed herself up to a weak stance. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen in hopes it would somehow help ease the pain, which it did (to her shock and thanks).

In fear of injuring herself further and falling back down, she didn't take a step forward. Actually, she shuffled backward a bit to possibly steady herself. She narrowed her eyes to try and see her friends' silhouettes better, and did realize the shape stalking forward was indeed Erza. She couldn't see her face, though she could probably imagine the expression the red-head wore at the moment.

Before she could try to say anything to divert everyone's attention, she heard a yell escape Erza's mouth, and an angry one at that. She couldn't see who it was directed at though, and leaned forward a tad to try and make out any more possible shapes. At first she couldn't spot anything, or tell what Erza was saying and to whom her words were directed...

But then she caught a glimpse of salmon-pink through the dust.

"N-Nats...Natsu-san!" she called as loud as she could, though it sounded more like a meek whimper when it reached her ears. A blush rose to her cheeks as she huffed and tried again, maybe in a _less pathetic way_. "N-Natsu-san!"

The second call was louder, but not by much. Still, it wasn't as pathetic sounding, so she'd take it. She hoped he'd pick up the call with his dragon-slayer senses, and hesitantly took a small step forward, careful not to move too fast or too recklessly.

As she moved forward, she realized Erza's (and many of the others') yells were directed at, to her surprise, Natsu. But Erza and the mages who were sitting with her on the sidelines minutes earlier were angrily chewing Natsu out for sending her into a building.

She could see that he looked really panicked, and like he might be in some sort of shock. Despite that, she noticed a large cloud of guilt that was seemingly suffocating him as Lucy, Levy, Lisanna, and Erza were screaming at him for hurting her. When she realized what was happening, she began to register all the sounds around her.

"How could you have been so reckless?!" Lucy screeched, arms flinging into the air.

"Why on Earthland would you have done that, Natsu?!" Levy followed.

"What direction did she go?! Oh, God, I can't see her! Did you even see where you hit her?!" Lisanna added.

"What the Hell did you think your attack would do, Natsu?! Send Rusty through the wall and not Wendy?! That wouldn't have helped the situation at all!" Erza yelled, fury blazing in her voice.

Deathly angry auras permeated all around them as Wendy watched Natsu shrink back, fists clenched at his sides. She could also see the way his jaw was subtly moving, indicating he was grinding his teeth, and the way his eyes didn't make contact with anything but the ground.

"Why isn't he saying anything back?" Wendy whispered to herself as she continued to slowly shuffle forward. Somehow moving was beginning to ease her pain a bit, and she dropped one arm from around herself and let it hang at her side. She completely forgot about Reo as she continued trying to reach her friends.

"You could have _killed_ her, Natsu! Oh, God, what would you do if-!" Lucy suddenly stopped, and her words hung in the air in a suffocating silence. She was staring at something, beyond Natsu's hunched shoulder.

Realization dawned on Wendy that Lucy was staring at _her,_ and she was staring back with wide eyes. Subconsciously, she reached for her arm and gave it a squeeze in attempts to calm herself down from her suddenly racing heartbeat.

"...What is it Lu-chan?" Levy asked, obviously unaware of the younger dragon-slayer's presence. She tried following her line of sight and gasped as she caught sight of her. "Oh my goodness, Wendy!"

Before she even realized what was happening she was bombarded by four overly worried mages who began bombarding her with questions while looking over her injuries and examining the damage. She must have been in pretty bad shape...

"Oh my God, Wendy are you all right?!" Lucy asked, concern written on her face. Wendy stood stock still as her friends began taking closer looks at her scratches, bruises, etc. But she couldn't shake the words Lucy had just said from her mind.

 _'You could have_ killed _her, Natsu!'_ they echoed, on loop. A spark of fear made itself known inside of her at the realization that he really could have killed her if his intentions were elsewhere... But this was Natsu Dragneel she was talking about - the face of the guild; the fire dragon-slayer, Salamander; the goofy and silly idiot that picked fights with his friends and could almost always bring a smile to anyone that needed it; and most importantly, one of her best friends who was like the brother she never had - he'd _never_ intentionally attack a member of the guild (or really any person, for that matter) as to seriously injure them, and he would never _kill_ anyone.

Lucy's words struck a chord inside of her - and an upset chord, at that. Did she really just say that? His partner? She stared in disbelief at Lucy, and either the older girl didn't notice her expression, or she didn't think anything of it.

"Wendy, we need to get you inside the guild and into the infirmary at once!" Erza said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Mira will look after you and we will all assist as we can-"

"Are you okay, Wendy? After you hit Rusty, I didn't see what happened except for you crashing into the building!" Mira asked worriedly, cutting Erza off and moving toward the younger girl quickly from out of nowhere to examine her wounds. Exasperatedly, Wendy pulled away from her and felt some of her earlier vigor returning.

"Why are you all worried about me?! We clearly have a bigger problem to deal with at the moment!" she shouted indignantly. Her outburst caught the attention of all the mages present, obviously awestruck at her seemingly obvious question.

"Because you're our nakama, Wendy! You come before any enemy or job there is!" Lucy shouted, disbelief evident on her face. Said mage saw everyone else nod in agreement at the celestial mage's explanation, which floored her temper even more.

"Then why is _**she**_ _any different?!_ Why is Reo treated like a villain when she's only a child who needs help-?!"

" _Rusty is_ a villain. She's a murderer, Wendy! You've seen the carnage she can cause; the damage she's done; the havoc she's wreaked in the span of nearly a month!" Erza replied angrily.

"It's not her fault - it was _never_ her fault!"

"She's **_dangerous,_** Wendy!"

"So is _every_ mage!"

"Rusty is the _enemy!"_ Erza yelled, enunciating the last word slowly to prove her point.

" _Reo_ is my friend! My naka- _Our_ nakama!"

"How can you say that, Wendy?! She's the reason Gray and Juvia are in the infirmary! The reason so many innocent citizens of Magnolia are dying every week! The reason everyone in the guild is being terrorized!" Lucy argued.

"CORRECTION: WHY _NATSU_ IS BEING TERRORIZED! When was the last time you had a nightmare, huh? When ANY of you had a nightmare?!" Wendy stared dead at Lucy, eyes locking with the flustered mage's before continuing her rant. "That's right! It happened around the first couple of days when we found out who was doing the killing, except to the one person who had any clue of who Rusty was! Rusty was probably trying to take the initiative of protecting her and Reo from being found out because she knew what would happen if the were caught!

"Only Natsu had nightmares, and from what I've heard they were nightmares of the people he cares about being hurt! And when he finally had the chance to take out the person who plagued him with his biggest fear, it ended up coming true!" She paused mid-rant to look at Natsu, who's eyes were wide in shock. She gave him a sympathetic look before turning to everyone else, her glare returning.

"He's been trying to protect us and you all yelling at him for an accident won't help him any! If anything, you're making it worse for him! If I forgave him, then it shouldn't be an issue to you - especially when you all know I would!"

"B-but, he wouldn't have even been so paranoid if it weren't for Rust-Reo's influence!" Levy interjected, unsure of herself. She nearly jumped when Wendy looked her way, appearing almost as menacing as Gajeel had first been.

"SHE'S NOT IN CONTROL OF HER ACTIONS! CAN NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND THE FACT THAT THERE IS AN EVIL INSIDE HER THAT'S CONTROLLING HER AND MAKING HER BODY DO THESE ATROCIOUS THINGS?!" Wendy screamed.

Before anyone could respond, a deafening shriek erupted from behind them. Everyone turned to see a frantic Gajeel and Elfman holding down Reo's arms as she writhed about on the ground, her back arched so far off the ground it looked like it would snap. Her eyes were rolled up into the back of her head and a thin layer of sweat covered every inch of her pale skin.

But the most noticeable thing about her were the screeches of pure agony erupting from her mouth, and tearing her throat raw. They echoed in the space around them, serving to only sound louder.

"REO!" Wendy yelled, ignoring all the pain in her own limbs as she darted toward her friend. She heard the panicked calls of her friends behind her, but most sounds she tuned out by putting her hands over her ears. Once she reached the three mages, she knelt down beside them, trying to find out what was wrong. Quickly, she turned to Gajeel and asked him what happened.

"Nothing! After you did whatever you did to her, she just fell and sat there doin' nothing! Then while you guys started arguin' she freaked out and started screamin'!" he explained, wincing as another scream escaped Reo's throat.

"Honest Wendy, we didn't do anything to her except hold her down when she started flipping!" Elfman added, readjusting his grip on Reo's arm.

"Is she hurt anywhere?" Wendy asked. "Maybe I could heal her!"

"She wouldn't let you heal her before - I don't think she'll let you heal her now. Also, there was nothing I could see; just a bruise on the side of her neck."

Wendy felt a pang of guilt after he said that, but she pushed it down and looked over the writhing mage to see if Gajeel missed anything. It was hard to tell though, when she was constantly moving around.

Then the smell of blood assaulted her nose.

It was a strong odor, and instinctively slapped her hand over her nose and mouth, eyes shutting tightly while her nose scrunched up in disgust. Opening her eye a crack, she saw that Gajeel was also disturbed by the smell, but was focusing on holding Reo down. Quickly, she spared a glance toward Natsu, and saw he looked sickly as well.

In the short span of time, the white-haired mage's screams only seemed to get louder, hoarse cries increasing dramatically in volume.

"Wendy? Gajeel?! What's happening?" Elfman asked, obviously unaware of the smell.

"Ulgh... can you seriously not smell anything?" Gajeel managed to spit out through gritted teeth.

"N-no, what? Is there something in the air?"

Wendy would have said what it was, but a loud cracking sound beat her to it. Like a melon was being split open...

Suddenly a splash of liquid made its way onto her arm. Eyes snapping open in panic, she turned her arm over to see what it was and nearly jumped when she saw blood dripping down the entirety of her arm. She felt more of said liquid splatter onto her right cheek, and she turned to see where it had come from.

She faintly recognized that Gajeel and Elfman had splatters of the liquid on them as well, but she didn't focus on that matter. What she _did_ focus on was the large red line along the whole of Reo's face, trailing down her neck and most likely her torso, given more red was seeping through her clothes in a sloppily long, vertical line. More lines made themselves visible the entire way down her arms and legs, like she was being dissected before them, trails dripping down the sides of her limbs. The blood on her arms came from Reo's mouth, where trails of it were dripping down her chin and spurting out of her throat as she continued trying to scream.

Before she could realize what happened, a flash of bright white and crimson blinded her and everyone else around them, the gruesome sound of bones breaking, blood spilling, and... and _squelching innards_ assaulting everyone's ears. Reo's voice had died in her throat the second the light appeared, and her screaming ceased. But it left everyone in a confused daze.

What the hell was happening now?

OooooooooooooO

Finally.

It was _finally_ happening.

Her suffering would be over.

If she could have ended it herself, she would've the first chance she had... but she couldn't.

But now that is was finally happening... well given the circumstances, she can't say she was as thrilled as she thought she would be.

Her death would never justify all the lives she took, or make up for the suffering she caused.

Nothing would.

Not even the pain she was forced to endure now.

She could feel her throat being ripped apart with every scream she elicited into the air, her air passage becoming more raw as she continued expressing her pain.

But said pain was too much _not_ to scream.

Before, she had never screamed when being beat, abused, verbally assaulted, whatever; she wasn't allowed to, for fear of being harmed further.

She would curse her magic for healing her faster than a normal person, as it made her more prone to obtaining injuries from her 'loving' parents.

She didn't want that.

But you could only be pushed so far before you snapped - and that's exactly what made her life even worse than before she tried to escape.

She heard arguing somewhere in the real world, pulling her out of her thoughts, but the words were too muddled to understand, and she didn't have the energy or care to try and make out what was being said.

Amidst the yells, she could make out a familiar voice, but she couldn't remember her name.

And judging by her tone, she was defending her.

She found it heartwarming that her only friend in years was coming to her rescue now, but it broke her heart when she realized that said girl didn't know she was leading her friend to her death.

...Surely she coul- would forgive her, though.

Hopefully they would all forgive her in time, but it was very unlikely that that would happen - especially with... with the firey one's case.

He had been the most tormented out of everyone, being made the main source of entertainment... but if she didn't make herself seem suspicious, he would've left her be, letting _her_ reign of terror continue.

This way was better.

This way finalized her death.

And she would always be grateful.

 **Always.**

OooooooooooooO

It's not fair.

It's not _fair._

Why was she being punished for self defense?

It had always been that way - be punished for doing some stupid little thing; for speaking when spoken to, or speaking in general; for trying to defend herself from her parents' fury; for running from the council; for being born with a magic that shouldn't even exist anymore...

Did she deserve to be born from the fear of death? Of loneliness? Of pain? Of being hated and feared? Of living as a vengeful spirit for the rest of her life-?

-Did she deserve to live a life being nothing but negative?

No. No she didn't.

She wasn't even supposed to exist - she never asked for this to happen; to be **alive**.

...Heh, alive is a funny way of describing it.

Truthfully she isn't living: stealing other's lives while running for her own was no way to 'live'.

But now she was being threatened with death _again_ , threatened by being found out by some self-righteous asshole that wanted her head on a platter instead of Rufus'.

It wasn't fair.

Why did she made to kill in order to survive?

As fun as it may have been, as right as it may have _felt..._

She knew it was anything but fun and right.

If she didn't do something one considered "morally wrong" by the time the sun came up, she would have died.

And didn't want to die.

No one did.

The brat she was bound to truly didn't deserve being stuck with her either, but she couldn't do a thing about that.

Rather than running for her life, she wanted to play and make friends and do what she wanted, like her opposite could.

She wanted to do as she pleased, living as much as she could while protecting their secret until the day her hostess died.

For if her hostess died, so would she.

And she didn't ever want to die.

 **Ever.**

OooooooooooooO

As the light died down, Natsu uncovered his eyes, sight hazy as he tried to refocus and readjust them due to being nearly blinded again.

When he regained his vision, he stared at the large mess of red that defiled the street, buildings, and guild hall's front doors. Quickly, he searched for everyone that had been outside, and sighed in relief when he counted eight heads.

Slowly, he pushed himself off of the ground (when he had fallen down, he had no idea) and into a calm stance. He scanned the area to locate Rus-Reo...

When he noticed two little mages lying right next to one another, covered in blood.

One had crimson hair, appearing more pink by the roots, and looked nearly identical to the white-and-pink-haired mage beside her. She had a long-sleeved dress that ended mid-thigh with the sleeves covering the entireties of her hands, and black leggings. A sash was tied around her waist and holding Reo's daggers in it, while she was barefoot.

The other wore exactly what Reo had been wearing in the guild that day, a long white (now red) shirt and black shorts, but was also barefoot. Most noticeable was the dark red Fairy Tail insignia stamped on the back of her neck, while the other girl's neck was clean...ish.

Slowly, the two began to stir, and simultaneously woke up. They seemed confused, and extremely exhausted as they struggled to push themselves into sitting.

"I'm... alive?" they both whispered under their breaths, confusion evident on their faces. But while the red-haired one smiled and seemed relieved beyond belief, the white-haired one seemed sad and horrified.

Suddenly, it clicked who these two were: the red-head was Rusty, and the white-haired one was Reo.

They had been split into two.

The two suddenly became aware of a presence beside either of them, and turned to meet each other's eyes. Rusty had a large smile and looked at Reo with lidded eyes, while the other stared at her doppleganger with wide eyes, full of terror.

"R-Rusty?" she whispered quietly, almost inaudibly.

"Hello, Reo~! Fancy meeting you here~" she said back, smile growing wider. "In fact, it's quite the _honor_ to meet you at all! You know, since I've never actually seen what you look like~"

"B-but, but that spell was-!"

"Supposed to kill you? Yes, yes! Yes it was... I'm not entirely sure what happened there, either. But I must say! It was quite fortunate that you were somehow spared! And now, your body is _all y_ _ours~!"_

Rusty began to laugh, making everyone who was still in a daze snap out of it and focus on the three mages. Her laughter quickly escalated to a horrendous cackle of insanity as she pushed herself off the ground. She stood up, stumbling like a drunk man as her head lolled slightly to the side and surveyed everyone around her, red irises taking in everything around her. The sleeves of her dress had covered her hands completely and hung there, almost like extensions of her arms.

"Really, I must thank you! You AND Wendy! If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be standing here right now - in my own body! No longer bound by my ankles and wrists to obey your every whim- well, during the daytime, anyway~ And you can now be free to do as you like during the night, instead of murdering everyone you meet~"

"You mean..." Natsu spoke up, catching the attention of everyone present. "You mean to tell me, that there really are two of you?!" He raises a hand to point at Rusty, who in turn cocks an eyebrow.

"Wasn't it obvious? This sweet little thing wouldn't hurt an amoeba if her life depended on it!" she cooed, an innocent smile on her lips. "All her fear, anger, sadness, and... anguish? Yeah, let's go with that. Basically all of her negative emotions, or a normal human's anyway, are what make up the infamous Rusty Mayushigue~! I'm like an extension of her psyche, a... doppleganger, if you will. Or maybe even a parallel universe version of herself, that came to life and became an embodiment of her worst memories."

"But why do you come out at night? Why would you cause all of the misery and tragedy you do?!" Lisanna piped up from a distance, an angry expression on her face.

"Simply put, because I'm a negativity magnet - I need bad emotions to stay relatively sane. As for the night part... I have no idea. Just how our magic programmed itself in our system...s. We had no control over that, but we found out easily enough that Miss Albino walks around during the day, and I get to parade during the evening. Quite a lucky situation, as the dark is always easier to work in."

"How did you two split apart? If you were the same person and shared a body, wouldn't you still be together?" Levy asked, looking to Gajeel for an answer. "We read that your magic was volatile and either killed or saved lives, but there was no spell about separating anything."

"You see? I'm not really sure what happened with that, either. Don't ask the snow-head anything, because she's lookin' a little too dazed to talk at the moment," Rusty said, turning to Reo with a lazy smirk, sharp teeth flashing. "However, that spell was supposed to kill her - not save her. And if she died, I would have too... Which is EXACTLY why you did it, huh?"

Reo didn't answer. She only stared blankly ahead of her, horror still etched into her face as her body began to shake. Violent tremors ran up her spine and traveled throughout her limbs, making her appear as though she was having a seizure.

"...What?" a small-voiced-Wendy asked, pulling Rusty away from her counter. She turned to see the sky dragon-slayer, a shocked and hurt expression on her face like a kicked puppy.

"Oh, you didn't think this spell was going to magically dis-spell me from her somehow and everything would be happy and normal after I 'died,' did you?" she asked sarcastically while making a face like false-sympathy. When she saw Wendy's face sink further, a wide smile broke out on her face and she let out a sardonic laugh. "Wow! You actually _did_ think that, didn't you?! You're even more stupid than I thought!"

Once again, Rusty's cackling filled the space she was currently occupying as everyone else remained silent in disbelief. She doubled over, shoulders heaving as she tried filling her lungs with air after each burst of laughter.

"That's- that's right! She's had a death-wish ever since- ever since I came into her li-ife!" she said between laughs, arms wrapping around her abdomen. After a few moments, her laughter began to subside and she calmed herself down. "Whew, excuse me! That was just _too_ fucking good. Anyways, she's always wanted to die! Little Miss Reo hated herself -and still does, mind you!- for letting her magic get such a grip on her weak lil' heart that it created an evil version of herself! She never wanted to be a mage, and now she doesn't even wish to be alive! Oh the poor thing, life has dealt her one shitty card after another, hasn't it?"

"How dare you lie like that!" a loud voice boomed. Everyone watched as Natsu lit his hands aflame, anger washing over him once more. "How dare you say she wants to die! Like **Hell** I'm going to believe that - not when she's finally found what she's been looking for!"

"Excuse me?" Rusty asked, hysteria hidden at the edge of her voice. She quickly took a step back, as to distance herself from his fire while reaching for a dagger at her side.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? She can finally go around at night, since you're not bound to her! She's free of your iron grip and violent outbursts!" He started stepping toward her menacingly, flames spewing from his mouth like foam on a rabid dog. Rusty quickly pulled two daggers from her waistband and dragging them up her forearms, her face showing her panic and sudden fear.

Instead of yelling to summon her Blood Whips, she screamed and dropped her daggers, the metal weapons making a loud clanging sound as they hit the cobblestone. She quickly pulled her arms to her chest and dropped to her knees, hands twitching as they clutched at her shoulders. Blood was dripping down her forearms and bleeding into the sleeves of her dress, as well as the chest.

"W-what the fuck? It hurts?! Why the FUCK DOES IT HURT?!" she screamed, anger filling her expression as she snarled at nothing. Rage made its way into her eyes as her left one's sclera turned black to match the other.

"You mean it didn't hurt before? Well, this should be a _lot_ more justifying, then," Natsu smirked, flames covering nearly his entire body by this point. Noticing his advance, Rusty pushed herself off the ground again and swiped the daggers she dropped, not wishing to cover two more in her blood. Steadying herself, she yelled for her blood whips and blinked, dumbfounded when they didn't appear; in fact, everyone was, even Natsu stopped to watch what she would do.

"W-what? WHAT?! B-BLOOD WHIP!" she tried again, beginning to shake when they didn't appear after the second call. Eye twitching, she tried again. And again... and again. But the weapons never formed themselves from her wrists. In fact, they wouldn't be able to since the slices on her arms had closed themselves, not a trace of her arms being cut open on her now-porcelain-like skin. Livid, the blood-mage reached her arms over her back, and dragged them up vertebrae by vertebrae, a cry of pain accompanying the painstaking task. She dropped to her knees and yelled, "SINFUL FEATHERS!" to the heavens, but the wounds only sealed themselves again, the tears in her dress and blood staining it evidence that she had done anything.

Everyone could see that she was visibly panicking with every slice she delivered to her body, desperately trying to activate some semblance of her magic. But she only healed from the pain her body received, instantly returning to the way she was before she obtained the injury.

It took a little while, but it finally clicked that Rusty didn't have control over blood anymore. While she could heal from practically anything thrown her way, she couldn't use the abilities she had used when joined with Reo any longer.

And it was pitiful. The moment a mage lost their magic, their pride and joy, was devastating no matter who they were with it. Their magic was what made them who they were, and to see one frantically trying to use it when it was no longer there, much less a child, made everyone's heart wrench, for none of them knew what they would do without their own magic.

"NO! NO, NO, NO! SHIT, _NO!"_ she screamed again, unaware of the red tears that began to fall from her eyes and spill down her cheeks. She plunged the blades into the soles of her feet and cried out, "BLOOD BOOST!" but received nothing as the wound closed up. "PLEASE- _PLEASE, NO!_ _MOTHER-FUCKER, **NO!"**_ She continued trying, but as the pattern would predict, could not summon any magic. "WHY? WHY WON'T ANYTHING WORK?! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!"

Natsu's flames died down as he watched the spectacle before him, silently clenching his fist as he watched a flame flicker about above his fist. In his field of vision, he thought he saw something move from behind Rusty, and looked away from his hand to see Reo standing behind her. Her bangs cast a shadow over her eyes and made her look more menacing as she just stood there.

Curiously, he waited to see what she would do while Rusty continued her attempts in vain. As he watched, a sudden wave of pain reverberated inside his head and he doubled over, bringing a hand to try and massage his temple.

Faster than anyone could see, however, Reo singlehandedly removed a dagger from her own waistband and held it so the blade pointed downward and raced behind Rusty in a blur of red, white, and pink. She had somehow changed her hold on the blade and raised it above her head, seemingly ready to attack Rusty while she was distracted.

But instead of taking the chance, she plunged the blade into her own abdomen until the hilt pressed against her skin, and twisted it before ripping it out and repeating the action. Strangely enough, she didn't cry out; almost as though she didn't feel it. But Rusty screamed the second the knife entered Reo's body, dropping her own daggers and bringing her hands to cover the spot the blade had entered her opposite.

"REO, STOP- YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!" Wendy screamed, tears streaming down her face as she tries to run past Natsu, who in turn grabs her shoulders and holds her back. "Natsu-san?! What are you doing?! Let me go!"

"OWW, MOTHER-FUCKER!" Rusty exclaimed through a choked sob. Reo stood emotionless when she pulled the blade out for the final time, letting it fall to the ground with a clang. Her yellow/purple eyes looked hollow as they stared at her writhing counter. "W-WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"I'm sorry, Wendy..." he whispered in return, tightening his grip around the younger dragon-slayer.

"I ended this finally. It would seem that when we were split, my original abilities were divided between us as well. So while you gained my ability to instantaneously heal, you lost the ability to summon any form of magic in combat, or in physical form. You also took on the burden of harboring all the pain we used to experience when you get injured, instead of it being nullified a large amount. While I have retained my magic abilities, I can no longer feel pain... which leads to me being completely unaware of when I'm going to die. So while you are seemingly invincible, I am extraordinarily vulnerable and will no longer heal," she explained unsympathetically, falling to her knees as her legs gave out form beneath her.

"However, since we are still connected by blood, you receive any attack I do, and vice versa... except I don't feel what you receive. So if I die...

"You do as well."

"N-NO! _NO!_ I DON'T WANT TO DIE! YOU HEARTLESS BITCH- YOU FUCKING MONSTERS! IS THIS WHAT THE MAGES OF FAIRY TAIL DO TO _ALL_ OF THEIR ENEMIES?! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN- I SHOULD HAVE _FUCKING_ KNOWN! FUCK ME FOR NOT REMEMBERING THAT THE COUNCIL CALLED ON _YOU VILE SHIT-BAGS_ TO CAPTURE US AND KONRAD AND RETURN US TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL WHERE WE RESIDED! IF I HAD KNOWN _THIS_ IS WHAT FAIRY TAIL WOULD DO TO US, I WOULD HAVE TURNED ON MY HEELS AND LEFT EARTHLAND MYSELF!" Rusty raged, red tears racing down her cheeks at an alarming rate and mixing with the puddle of blood beneath her.

"Wait! You're both going to die? _Both_ of you?!" Lisanna questioned frantically, tears spilling from her own eyes as well. She watched helplessly as the little white-haired mage turned to her and offered a small smile.

"That would be correct, Miss Lisanna-san... To all of you, I know that no apology I could offer would ever be able to make up for the horrible things I have caused your guild and your beautiful city; I _know_ that. But the least I can do is make sure that it doesn't happen again... well, in this time anyway," she replies, coughing up a wad of blood before falling onto her side.

 **"REO! PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T _DO THIS!_** **NATSU- LET ME GO, DAMNIT!"** Wendy screamed, desperately trying to escape her brotherly figure's grasp. As a result, he tightens his grip further and pulls her backward.

"Jesus, Wendy please stop! Gajeel- get'yer ass over here and help me!" Natsu yells, catching the attention of the other dragon-slayer, who nods and moves to hold Wendy back.

"GAJEEL?! NO, STOP! LET ME GO- _LET ME GO!"_ she screeches, her cries making the slayers wince at the volume. "REO! PLEASE, I CAN HEAL YOU- YOU CAN COME BACK AND RUSTY CAN BE LOCKED AWAY! JUST, _PLEASE LET ME HELP YOU!"_

By now, Rusty has completely ceased in movement, her voice dying with her spirit as her body lay limp on the blood-soaked cobblestone. Her eyes were lidded and now looked like those of a doll- glossy, hollow, and devoid of any life. Her hands fell to her sides as their grasp on her stomach loosened. Her mouth was halfway open, red saliva still dripping from the corner of her lips as it merged with the steadily growing puddle beneath the both of them.

"Wendy, please calm down! You know that healing magic won't work on her - remember the first day she came here?! She wouldn't let anyone use magic on her!" Mirajane tried to reason, but her words fell on deaf ears as the blue-haired girl kept crying to let her help.

Reo offered a sad smile to her friend, blood dripping from her eyes as she held back a sob. Her lips were quivering as she adjusted her position to look directly at Wendy. Her smile grew wider and she closed her eyes tightly, raising her hand into the air.

"But please know... know that I'm truly sorry, for everything I did. I...I regret it all... Thank you Wendy... Natsu-san... Mirajane-san... _everyone_... for _everything..._ _I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you enough..."_ she whispered, pointing her index finger into the air and thumb out to the side.

 _ **"REO, NO!"**_ Wendy cried out, finally breaking free of Gajeel and Natsu's hold and falling to her knees.

"For what...for what it's worth... I had... a wonder...ful... adventure."

With those words, Reo's hand fell down, splashing into the red liquid beneath her. Though her eyes closed and enveloped her mind in darkness, her smile lingered on her face, never to disappear.

The only thing that could be heard in those final moments were the pained screams of a single dragon-slayer, as silent tears fell from almost everyone's eyes for their fallen guild member.

OooooooooooooO

 **And that ends Chapter 17.**

 **...I am a horrible person.**

 **I wasn't planning on ending it this early to be completely honest with all of you, but you should expect another chapter (because there is no fucking way I am just ending it like that- I'm a piece of shit, not a cold-hearted bitch) or two. I made this one especially long as to try and make up for taking so long... but I don't think this is going to help.**

 **Trust me, this isn't actually the end of this, I promise you. You guys could probably theorize how they're gonna somehow come back to life or whatever, or give me suggestions as to what I should do with this. Hey, maybe I'll listen, and maybe I won't. But for what I'm going to do in the next chapter, I'm gonna have to go back and revise some of the chapters so as to fix some plot holes and have everything make sense.**

 **I'm also making some minor changes to Reo/Rusty's story and their characters. Nothing personality-wise, but maybe just some physical changes. Don't worry, it won't be too bad.**

 **I advise those who like to pretend to be the characters and do all the voices and stuff when they read fanfiction (am I the only one who does that?) to not try and reenact this as it will rip your throat apart and break a lung.**

 **Thank you for staying with me during this story - we're almost done, and I'll be able to work on other projects that I started last year and fucking left in the dust because I can't keep my priorities straight, as well as start new stories (I've got one for YouTuber's coming up reeaall fucking soon~).**

 **I'm pretty sure I'm going to do a sequel for this story, so if you guys have any ideas as to what you'd want to see in that, leave some ideas and suggestions; I'd be happy to read over them! I also apologize if anyone was OOC *cough cough*WENDY*cough cough***

 **Once again, thank you, and I hope to see you in the next chapter. THANKYOU and BYE-BYE!11! :3**


End file.
